“”Release and catch””..on over 2 percent grade,, applying brake retainers on a train with virtually no air
NOT IN THE RULES…. DREAMED UP BY MANAGEMENT
Brake retainers are no substitute for hand brakes in this situation and never will be.
Here..
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While stopped in emergencyAfter the inbound crew brought the train to an emergency stop, they had a job briefing with the trainmaster. It was decided to get the train underway again by releasing the emergency brake application and allowing the train’s air brakes to recharge as the train continued its descent (an operation called release and catch). In order to limit the train’s acceleration after the brakes were released, the pressure retaining valves Footnote4 had to be set to the high-pressure position on 84 of the rail cars. The conductor completed this task at approximately 2330.
Since the inbound crew was nearing the end of their shift, a relief crew was called in to complete the trip to Field. The relief crew started their shift at 2230 and reached the train—after a series of circumstances had delayed their arrival—at about 0020 on 04 February 2019, some 2.5 hours after the train had been stopped in emergency. Meanwhile, the ambient temperature had dropped to -28 °C, and the train’s air brake system had been leaking compressed air, reducing the brakes’ capacity to hold the train on the steep grade.
The uncontrolled movementThe relief crew took over care and control of the train and prepared to resume the trip, but waited in the locomotive cab for the track unit carrying the departing inbound crew to be clear of the main track before they began the release and catch.
At 0042, before the relief crew were able to start that process, the train began to creep forward, gradually accelerating uncontrolled down the steep grade. The train was able to proceed over back-to-back reverse curves as its speed reached 53 mph, but it was not able to negotiate the sharp 9.8° curve immediately before the Kicking Horse River bridge. Two locomotives and 99 cars derailed, beginning at Mile 130.6.“”
Any decent lawyer will win this ongoing lawsuit against CP Rail. |
