Ohio train derailment/chemical explosion

I watched this over the weekend. 6/10 was about right. Calling it a movie about a train derailment in ohio is a bit of a lie, there is a train derailment and chemical cloud but that's a small part of a movie that's more of an existential comedy like I Heart Huckabees. All the actors are really doing something so it's fun to see a movie taking big swings.

Anyway, things aren't great in East Palestine. My wife's friend lives there, they left for a week when it happened then returned. She said they have sore throats and her son has a rash. Not good! Norfolk Southern needs to pay out big time for this to make people whole.

Turns out a lot of those chemicals are actually dangerous. Crazy.

No people killed or seriously injured during the initial derailment, release and burning of the chemicals. It could have been worse. Norfolk Southern needs to pay for this, I don't think alot of tax money should be spent by FEMA, etc. This isn't a natural disaster its a disaster caused by a company.

How can you predict that no people are going to be sick or die from the early release and burning of chemicals?

I think that less regulation of the rail industry would obviously prevent any incidents from occurring……

UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE 

It’s like some of you have blinders on. 

The shit that’s been DUMPED, BURNED & is now “Coating the Land” is a FUCKING DISASTER. 

Dude, I have no idea where you come up with your ability to cover for the government and its failures. So, I’ll ask this:

Who regulates the rail industry? 
 

Yep, either early is as clueless as they come or he/she/they live in an alternate reality.

Who's making excuses for the government? The dumbass governor didn't declare a state of emergency. Like I said in my first post in this thread, there was local pressure to keep this low-key from the beginning.

Yeah this is what weak government looks like, people getting bent over by big companies. Regulation is usually a 4 letter word around here.

Doesn't  that just mean Democrat? 

You know what else helps, holding them 100% accountable for their actions.

But they never will.

Hence, regulations. 

Problem is,  the regulators are more corrupt than the regulated. 

Norfolk Southern apology video

More than Biden visiting Ohio, I am waiting for the MAGA crowd here cop to the fact Trump was against the safety measures that could have help prevent this.  Trump was adamantly against adding electronic brakes and having two crew members on trains with hazardous materials.

Yeah Trump cares so much about the working class.   And to make it worse he has the nerve to visit Ohio and grift with his Trump water.  Surprised he didn't announce another NFT set.   

But yeah the BDS that affects many of you is so strong, you still think Trump's the man.  PT Barnum was right.

Jesus fucking christ dude let it go.

This is strictly as it relates to the items you brought up, not political:

The train in question had 3 crew members on board (conductor, engineer, student).

"Electronic brakes" im assuming you mean positive train control? Which would have absolutely nothing to do with this wreck. There were no signal or track movement violations which is what the system is intended to protect against. This was a failed wheel bearing.

I dont care what side your on but stop spewing fucking bullshit.

EDIT: I'll also entertain the topic of ECP brakes and if that would've helped (and since thats the hot "google" topic now). The fact is you still have the inertia of how many tons barreling down at track speed (50 MPH ish). An earlier brake application upon separation isn't going to take you from a massive wreck to a few cars lightly tapping eachother. 
 

Sources: I have a brother who works for one of the largest railroad track and signal construction companies in the Northeast who have to take all this into consideration when designing and building. My source is not google.

NTSB should be releasing a report soon. It will be interesting to see the sequence of events that unfolded. 

I wonder if East Palestine could be the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory if the 21st century, probably not.

I've seen people post that there was a wheel/axle on fire miles before the derailment. I can't understand what safety regulations would have been able to prevent what seems like either a bearing failure or a lack of adequate maintenance. Can you explain what may have happened?

As early stayed above, there will be a more complete report soon, but I'm just curious.

If you go back a few pages in this thread indy_maico had some good stuff on the trucks (what the wheels are attached to) and the different bearings. All railcars on class 1 railroads (NS, UP, etc.) ride on roller bearings.

There are lineside detectors (defect detectors) that will monitor passing trains for things like failing or overheating bearings (known as a hotbox), hot wheels (from stuck brakes), rail impact (from flat spotted wheels), dragging equipment, etc.

if there are any of these faults detected, an automated announcement is typically made over the radio to the train crew and it typically tells them what axle in the consist it is and what side of the rail its on. After that, the train is stopped or "rolled by" at slow speed and the conductor inspects the train either walking the length or watching it as it goes past to identify the fault.

The big concern and one of the major questions is that allegedly this train passed over one of these detectors somewhere West of the crash site. The detector spacing can vary but typically about 20 miles apart. So the thing is, did the detector pick this up and the train crew fail to be notified (detector failure)? Did the crew ignore the message? Did the failure escalate so quick that it happened between detectors? All questions that will be key into understanding the cause.

With the advent of whats known as "precision scheduled railroading" in recent years, RRs have been operating business like a numbers game. As a result, lots of carmen (among other trades) and others whose job it is to repair and inspect the railcars were eliminated, transferring more work to those who remain. 
 

If you want to get some feelings on the subject by those who see it first hand (i would assume some of it is garbage, but some seems legitimate) check out the website "thelayoff.com" and read the NS section. It seems like a pretty terrible place to work.

Remember when these trains had a caboose? I do.

A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Caboosesprovide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting, keeping a lookout for load shifting, damage to equipment and cargo, and overheating axles .

Big fan of the caboose

Murica 

There’s a difference between a big ass and a big ass woman! 🤣 ~ Ice Cube

I think we can all agree on one thing: a great caboose will make us all happy

Where was Mayor Pot Hole Pete for the last 2 plus years? Why hasn't he fixed anything? That's right, taking personal time. Only in America could this shit happen.

Now, don’t question Pete’s loyalty to his job, he’s a new Mother and all. 
 

SMMFH

There’s a really good Southpark on that…

Since this is getting lost in the fray, here's a little update after 2 more Norfolk Southern train accidents in ohio, 1 fatal.

https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20230323.aspx

NTSB to Open a Special Investigation into Norfolk Southern Railway’s Safety Practices and Culture

3/7/2023

​​​WASHINGTON (March 7, 2023) — The National Transportation Safety Board announced today a special investigation of Norfolk Southern Railway’s organization and safety culture.

Given the number and significance of recent Norfolk Southern accidents, the NTSB also urges the company to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices, with the input of employees and others, and implement necessary changes to improve safety. 

Since December 2021, NTSB has launched investigation teams to five significant accidents involving Norfolk Southern.

On Dec. 8, 2021, an employee for National Salvage and Service Corporation assigned to work with a Norfolk Southern work team replacing track was killed when the operator of a spike machine reversed direction and struck the employee in Reed, Pennsylvania. 

On Dec. 13, 2022, a Norfolk Southern trainee conductor was killed, and another conductor was injured, when the lead locomotive of a Norfolk Southern freight train struck a steel angle iron protruding from a gondola car on another Norfolk Southern freight train that was stopped on an adjacent track in Bessemer, Alabama. 

On Feb. 3​, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment resulted in a significant fire and hazardous materials release. 

On March 4, a 2.55-mile-long Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfield, Ohio.

On March 7, a Norfolk Southern employee was killed during a movement in Cleveland, Ohio. 

As part of the special investigation, the NTSB will also review the Oct. ​8, 2022, Norfolk Southern derailment in Sandusky, Ohio. 

The continued safe operations of Norfolk Southern is vital to the United States. The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture. The NTSB will conduct an in-depth investigation into the safety practices and culture of the company. At the same time, the company should not wait to improve safety and the NTSB urges it to do so immediately.    

If it was a train full of dicks, he would have been there on day 1.