Fw: NS and BNSF Railway to Test New Train Brake Technology

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Sun Apr 1 20:02:39 EDT 2007


Upon reading Hairy's (aka Harry's)account of this collision, I remembered some color slides that I had made the day following the accident, so I scanned the four that I have attached.

In Montvale0004, note the spectators near the derailment and speculate whether the NS would allow that today. Of course, the people may have been just off the railroad's right-of-way. Also note the dramatic overhang of the rear of the 250-ton derrick when it was swiveled to pick up a load off to the side of the track. Counterweights in the overhang served to partially balance the pull of the load on the derrick's boom.

Gordon Hamilton
----- Original Message -----
From: NW Mailing List
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 4:43 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: NS and BNSF Railway to Test New Train Brake Technology


Re. the"hairy" situation when the train line is blocked -- on
March 6, 1965, Extra 1011 East, No. 92's symbol, left Roanoke
with no air behind the trailing unit, Eng 3473, a former Wabash
GP-7. After topping Blue Ridge, the head end crew became
aware that they didn't have brakes. Extra 1011 East collided
with Extra 696 West entering the double track east of
Montvale.

Brake test ? There was a problem getting a brake test. But
while the car inspector on the caboose was watching the
meter, the car inspector on the head end was looking for the
problem and manipulated the angle cock, which caused a
brake pipe fluctuation. The cause ? Engine 3473's brake
system was arranged so that when the angle cock was cross-
ways the brake pipe, air flowed through the train line.
Apparently the Wabash had a different way of doing things.

The ICC's Report No. 4051 covering the incident has not yet
been posted to the DOT web site. The transcript on N&W's
investigation is 281 pages. Brakeman C.C. Cook ALMOST became
a hero. He went through the units tripping the emergency
brake valves, then had a premonition that the problem was on
Eng 3473. As the train rolled toward Montvale at 60 MPH, he
got on the footboard and parted the hoses and the train went
into emergency -- but not soon enough.

Mr. Neikirk asked: "What did you do after this emergency
occurred ?"

Mr. Cook responded ". . . .I started talking to myself. I said,
'Boy, if you are going to do anything you better be doing it.'
As soon as the headlight (of Extra 696) disappeared, I don't
know whether he was entering the westbound track or
whether we was that close to him - - - - I CALMLY STEPPED
OFF."
Hairy Bundy





------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See what's free at AOL.com.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


________________________________________
NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
To change your subscription go to
http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.23/740 - Release Date: 3/30/2007 1:15 PM
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20070401/6c7935f4/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Montvale0001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 84606 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20070401/6c7935f4/attachment-0004.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Montvale0002.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 88966 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20070401/6c7935f4/attachment-0005.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Montvale0003.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 75502 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20070401/6c7935f4/attachment-0006.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Montvale0004.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 80682 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20070401/6c7935f4/attachment-0007.jpg>


More information about the NW-Mailing-List mailing list