[PRCo] Re: METRORAIL DISASTER

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

> From: Ken and Tracie <ktjosephson at embarqmail.com>
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org; Jack May <jack.may at americomm.net>
> Cc: Edson Tennyson <etennyson at cox.net>; Al Schneider <alschneider2 at juno.com>;
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> Kotulak Dick <CRVLKOTULA at aol.com>; Craig Phil <philgcraig204 at yahoo.com>;
> Swindler1 John <j_swindler at hotmail.com>; Vigrass Bill <billvigrass at verizon.net>;
> Bob Dietrich <bob.dietrich1 at verizon.net>; Bente Bruce <bbente at bellsouth.net>;
> Lybarger Ed <trams2 at comcast.net>; Allman Rich <allmanr at verizon.net>;
> Jackson Russ <rejmhj at netzero.net>; Brashear Derrick <shadow at dementia.org>;
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> JOHN AURELIUS <jaurelius at centurytel.net>; Russell E. Jackson
> <russell.jackson at stvinc.com>; pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:32:11 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: METRORAIL DISASTER

> Check out both the photo and caption at the top of page 372.
> Cars of virtually identical dimensions, one steel,
> the other wooden, both equipped with identical anticlimbers.

> The story as I've heard it many times:

> Front car was backing up slowly, the following motorman was
> estimated to be heading down the hill at 70 mph before
> seeing the backing car and throwing the brakes into
> full emergency.

> The Nachod signal did not change to "red" when the
> backing car re-entered the previous block, so the
> following car's motorman saw a signal to continue.

> Though the cars appeared identical to a casual observer,
> the wooden car, with steel sheathing on its sides was
> essentially a wooden gondola with a roof.. 
> The anticlimbers did not matter.

> K.


Mr.Josephson;


I did see this photo and was aware of the story but had forgotten until you reminded me.  This was certainly a tragic accident;  it is utterly amazing there weren't any fatalities.  Putting the two stories together it seems that the Limited had already passed a 'yellow' signal and was in the block immediately behind the local before the local backed;  the backing local then entered the same block as the Limited which, if nachod controlled, left the local behind the red board it had set when operating the other direction.  Another signal to protect the local did not exist.

I am very much a realist and have often said that this is an imperfect world, a very imperfect world;  in fact, we are much closer to imperfect than we can ever hope to be to perfect.  Thus I am very much aware that even the very best of intentions will fail won't they.  This is indicated in the quote of my email below isn't it:  "'If'  the anticlimbers engaged successfully,..."  I recognize this doesn't happen at all times.

Thus my concern in this comment dealt with the structural integrity which had been identified years back re: the Rohr cars:  would they still telescope even if the anticlimbers did work?  Previous studies re-thesr Rohr cars seem to  'suggest'  such.  Along with this the news items quoted here indicated real concern that several regulatory agencies had identified problems re-Rohr cars but didn't have oversight ability to see that they were corrected.  Being a realist again, this is spin artistry and old fashioned jawboning that happens with each tragedy.  Time will probably dampen most concerns with little if anything accomplished beyond rhetoric.

I did see the North Shore but never took the time to explore the TMER&L, much to my regret.  It was a beautiful system from what I have learned, a classic interurban of history.


Phil
Without  a  'coast'  but  not  a  'cause.'
--
"If thou woulds rule well, thou must rule for God,
and to do that, thou must be ruled by Him ...
Those who will not be governed by God
will be ruled by Tyrants."
William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania



> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Phillip Clark Campbell" :

> Photos reveal one of the cars  'appeared'  to go airborne over the other 
> train with the car essentially sitting on the roof of the other car. 
> 'Telescoping'  generally results in the floor of one car riding over the 
> floor of another;  there can be worse carnage in such situations.  To 
> borrow a term from those who model transit,  telescoping would look like 
> 'literal kitbashing'  --  the ramming of two models together to produce 
> one.  The photo on pg.371 of  The Interurban Era  is an example of such.
>
> It is already known that the Rohr cars  'could'  telescope in an accident. 
> Do these cars have anticlimbers?  'If'  the anticlimbers engaged 
> successfully,  would the impact cause each car to telescope upon itself? 
> This begs basic structural integrity doesn't it.