Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: More woes for CN Rail...
Uke


Cured

Status: Offline
Posts: 26926
Date:
More woes for CN Rail...
Permalink  
 


Aside from the possibility of a strike, there's been a derailment in Western Alberta, which involves petroleum and nat-gas tankers... Bad juju!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/cn-fuel-cars-derail-explode-west-of-edmonton-1.2126678



__________________

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.
It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Gah. Your tab just crashed.



Barely a pulse...

Status: Offline
Posts: 2826
Date:
Permalink  
 

Uke wrote:

Aside from the possibility of a strike, there's been a derailment in Western Alberta, which involves petroleum and nat-gas tankers... Bad juju!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/cn-fuel-cars-derail-explode-west-of-edmonton-1.2126678


 That does look bad. CN meets or exceeds all rules and regulatory restrictions on the movement of dangerous goods by rail. Might be time to re examine some of these.



__________________

 This is how I roll.

 

 

 

Uke


Cured

Status: Offline
Posts: 26926
Date:
Permalink  
 


The one thing that all the majors USED ta do, but no longer feel they need to do...is car wheel inspections! Down here the bigs petitioned FRA/STB to increase the inspection period from 1000 miles to 1500 miles. Okay...a mere 500 miles!

Not much...but when you talk of heavy-haul/excess weight cars, like coal cars, and petro-oil tankers, the wheels and axles, undergo constant stresses, and wear, 500 miles is a lot more extra stress and wheel tread wear.

My humble opinion? They (car shops/yards) oughta inspect freight cars more often. Like every 1000 miles. Which is the preferred regular maintenance point!

Bring back the work! Save money! Save jobs! Save lives!

__________________

__________________

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.
It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Gah. Your tab just crashed.



Force Majeure

Status: Offline
Posts: 23396
Date:
Permalink  
 

http://rt.com/news/canada-train-derail-explode-431/

Comment:

 

Ezekiel 10:10 19.10.2013 17:40

Humans on this planet need to organise and demand the truth about gov't space exploration operations and black budget tech. We have the tech to overcome oil dependence - unfortunately this tech is classified as confidential military property, even though it is not even their property to begin with

Americ ans aquired extra-terrestrial ship, back-engineer the tech and then use the tech to benefit the secrecy cults and fascist organisations of the gov't, who use this new tech for oppression rather than liberation. The irony of the whole situation is that this tech is dæmonic, and is the intellectual property of dæmons



__________________

Tinhorn Dictator



Unstable & Irrational

Status: Offline
Posts: 10777
Date:
Permalink  
 

Uke, I think the new detectors are one of the reasons that they have extended the inspection requirements. In fact, talking with the car department, they are changing quite a few more wheels now.

__________________

I started ophph with nuthin, and I can safely say I have most of it left....
<img

Uke


Cured

Status: Offline
Posts: 26926
Date:
Permalink  
 

You guys know best when it comes to using "emergency" in response to a situation...

But back to the topic at hand: Wheel defects, and inspections. My drift, and my PRIORITY is to insist that they, carriers provide proper training, and resources to identify, and/or replace B/O wheels before they fail. IF that means a few more bucks (which "they've" already committed to spend...or so they say) in hiring, or rehiring furloughed carmen to improve upon the effort.

And yes I do understand that there are more than one factor  here. Track/rail condition is also high on the list.

However, with a thorough investigation yet to be made... Let's not jump... In fact as of early this morn, the fire was contained, but still burning.



-- Edited by Uke on Monday 21st of October 2013 12:01:06 PM

__________________

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.
It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Gah. Your tab just crashed.



The Forum Celestial Advisor

Status: Offline
Posts: 14175
Date:
Permalink  
 

This is the "derailment season" so find something to hold-on to.
"Derailment Season" over around November 10th. My best
wishes to all that you "escape....again" these celestial influences
in your career.

__________________

If you are in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, its what you do.



Upgraded Condition?

Status: Offline
Posts: 9206
Date:
Permalink  
 

You people need ta get with the program. This is 5 yr old information:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/csx_transportation/article/Technology-Update-TreadConditioning-Brake-Shoes--18557

 

Last year, railroads spent about $330 million to replace 320,000 wheelsets with tread damage, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data. In 2006, they spent $350 million to replace 350,000 tread-damaged wheelsets.

Tread damage primarily is caused by shells, spalls or slid flats that can form due to wheel sliding and other causes.

Eleven years ago, Wabtec Corp. subsidiary Railroad Friction Products Corp. (RFPC) introduced the COBRA® TreadGuard® tread-conditioning brake shoe, which is designed to prevent shells and spalls from forming, and condition the wheel tread to improve wheel/rail adhesion. Since then, several railroads and private car owners have noted longer wheel life and improved car reliability, especially on heavy-haul coal cars, while testing or using the shoe.

Yet, only recently have the TreadGuard and Sintered shoes begun to gain wider acceptance by railroads and car owners. Why? Because the shoes typically cost three to four times more than conventional brake shoes, and railroads and car owners couldnt overlook the upfront expense.

But now, theyre finding the overall cost savings from changing out fewer wheelsets and brake shoes justify higher initial costs, says Jim Pontious, who retired from Wabtec in 2005 and currently provides consulting services to several companies, including Wabtec.

You get longer wheel and brake shoe wear, he says. You also have to factor in the labor cost to replace more shoes.

BNSF Railway Co. is testing the shoes on 200 covered grain hoppers. The Class I, which first tested TreadGuards in 1996, already has standardized TreadGuards on its aluminum coal car fleet. Currently, 10,500 coal cars are equipped with the shoes, says BNSF Assistant Director of Mechanical Engineering Pat Whelan.

Weve found a reduction in the number of wheels replaced for shelling, and at wheel impact load detectors, weve found a lower number of wheels with shelling, he says. Were replacing a lower number of brake shoes because the condition of the wheel surface is better and shoes last longer.



__________________

 This is the official end of my post.  

Uke


Cured

Status: Offline
Posts: 26926
Date:
Permalink  
 

Trim folks who insist on dragging entire cuts, without releasing hanbrakes, are the main cuse of shelling and flat spots. Period!

Before I left Interbay, we'd already tested more than one "New" wheel saving brake shoe, including the ones described in your article. Wheels are indeed the most important/expensive component on rail cars and locomotives. No doubt about that. But let's not leave out the intangibles.

Track conditions, loads, train-handling, and dragging handbrakes. Not necessarily in that order. Wheel defects may go unnoticed, especially shelled tread which starts out small, and isn't always detected, or seen by car knockers.

But when a wheel fails, from a break (on a locomotive or car), empty or loaded, no good can result. And the article I cited concerned the initial derailment, and fire, which is burning as we speak.

And evacuees await permission to return home, while fire crews continue working. The cause(s) haven't been publicized as yet because the investigation is ongoing.

My rant will always be about wheel failures, because during my tenure I spotted more potential failures than I expected. Sure many were bad wheel castings (Southern Co. sets) installed under BN locomotives. I can't remember how many we changed throughout the late '70s and '80s, and into the '90s. More than a few rest assured... But every set we replaced (On six-axle power especially), there were always more waiting to be changed. And I won't speak for the car side, but they purchased Southern wheels in greater numbers as well.

The human factor will never, nor should it ever be replaced by "roadside" defect detectors (as you suggest), nor newer (experimental) brake shoes. All the eyes and mechanical ears help, but let's not forget that car capacities have increased substantially over the past ten, twelve years... And that contributes to a significant number of wheel/axle failures, and derailments.

Expect more, not fewer derailments, and fires, evacuations, etc., unless and until wheel inspection becomes the priority it ought to be. And that goes for ALL rail carriers, not just the Class-Is.



__________________

Hmm. That address doesnt look right.
It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.

Gah. Your tab just crashed.



Upgraded Condition?

Status: Offline
Posts: 9206
Date:
Permalink  
 

Uke wrote:

Trim folks who insist on dragging entire cuts, without releasing hanbrakes, are the main cuse of shelling and flat spots. Period!

Trim folks around here couldn't be troubled about putting a brake on in the first place, and the cars couldn't have come off the hump and rolled if the brakes were on so, I don't know how trimmers could be blamed for being the main cause. Hey, wander over to the hump and watch those cars roll...look Ma..no brakes!!

Before I left Interbay, we'd already tested more than one "New" wheel saving brake shoe, including the ones described in your article.

And don't forget that "old" and best shoe....the cast iron shoe

 Wheel defects may go unnoticed, especially shelled tread which starts out small, and isn't always detected, or seen by car knockers.

So we need better detection than a human can provide? 

The human factor will never, nor should it ever be replaced by "roadside" defect detectors (as freddie suggests), nor newer (experimental) brake shoes. All the eyes and mechanical ears help,

Wait, now I'm confused..

 

 

but let's not forget that car capacities have increased substantially over the past ten, twelve years... And that contributes to a significant number of wheel/axle failures, and derailments.

I thought if it took less cars to move a customers goods that would lessen the number of axles involved and thusly lessen the risk.

Expect more, not fewer derailments, and fires, evacuations, etc., unless and until wheel inspection becomes the priority it ought to be. And that goes for ALL rail carriers, not just the Class-Is.

How much more can they be concerned...what with the massive NO EMERGENCY program (unless you are tying down a hazmat train) hitting full stride, inroads are being cut into the wheel/rail relationship. You mention all carriers, but you say noting about the private car owners.

Whats next following this reasoning??...antilock brakes?? hhhuuuummmm prehaps....just plug the air line that goes from the control valve to the emergency reservoir. 


 



__________________

 This is the official end of my post.  



Upgraded Condition

Status: Offline
Posts: 15613
Date:
Permalink  
 

What is this "emergency" you speak of?

__________________

Chilean Night Skies



Purveyor of Positive Attitudes

Status: Offline
Posts: 2839
Date:
Permalink  
 

C

y Valley wrote:


What is this "emergency" you speak of?


 It is "Ukespeak" for "Notice to appear at the investigation to determine the facts of your involvement..."



__________________

Some people say I have a bad attitude. Those people are stupid.



Barely a pulse...

Status: Offline
Posts: 2826
Date:
Permalink  
 

The fact that the CEO apologized to the evacuees and all affected and concerned parties says something. I'm thinking that they know they have someone to blame and the investigation will be moot procedure. I don't think I would want to be that crew on the westbound that was taking the siding and derailed while turning out. 



__________________

 This is how I roll.

 

 

 

Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Chatbox
Please log in to join the chat!