Tornado and Train

[speedbird591]

If you wanted to see a video of the locomotive 'Tornado' you might type those two words into YouTube.

But then you might just get a jaw dropping glimpse of what happens when a real tornado hits a freight train in the US!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azV5bC2br-Q

Ian :o

[Garry Russell]

Blimey :o

Never thought about the trucks from the back of the train remaining on the track then comming up and colliding

Thanks for that link Ian

Garry

[bigred1970]

that has got to be a really bad feeling for the driver when you see where you are heading and can't really do anything about it....... trains take miles to stop... and I have a feeling that they didn't see the twister till is was right on top of them...... :o

[Filonian]

Gobsmacked


Graham

[DispatchDragon]

very impressive when you consider that was a 120 tonne box car that you can see in the final frames -- and Mama Nature threw it like a toy)


Leif

[Harry Basset]

I'm surprised that the rear portion of the train just kept coming along. There was clear space between the derailed cars of the front part so the air brake pipes must have been snapped apart which should cause a full brake application. There were sparks from rail level on the chasing cars so perhaps there was some brake action or a derailed wheelset. There are great weights and forces in US railroading but Nature beats them.

[speedbird591]

I'm surprised that the rear portion of the train just kept coming along. There was clear space between the derailed cars of the front part so the air brake pipes must have been snapped apart which should cause a full brake application.

Harry's right, of course. In the UK, air brakes are standard. The brake shoes are forced on to the wheel by spring pressure and are held off by compressed air. So if the air pressure is reduced or removed, the brakes are on by default. If a UK train suffers a 'separation' the rear portion would brake automatically.

I assume that in the US there is a different way of doing it and that must be why their derailments are so much more spectacular!

Ian

[delticbob]

Harry's right, of course. In the UK, air brakes are standard. The brake shoes are forced on to the wheel by spring pressure and are held off by compressed air. So if the air pressure is reduced or removed, the brakes are on by default. If a UK train suffers a 'separation' the rear portion would brake automatically.

Ian

Nearly right..... I was going to try & explain myself but I though wikpedia would make a better job & supply pictures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_air_brake

You will notice in the YouTube video at 1 min 09 secs a sort of "phut" sound, which is almost certainly the loss of the brake pipe/train pipe pressure as the train divides. The reason why the rear portion seemingly catches the front portion could be down to the increased brake force provided by the locomotive/s plus the increased drag of assorted wagons being dragged behind the locomotive/s.

What ever the reason, it must have been a scary moment for the driver.....sorry ya'll...engineer :doho:

Bob

[Scorpius]

Newer passenger trains, particularly multiple units now use a brake wire which is constantly polled as opposed to air hoses. if the pulse does not come back, the brakes are automatically applied.

[forthbridge]

This makes quite interesting reading - it exlains the braking..... and what caused this 'runaway'! :o :o :o :o
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docume ... on1977.pdf