Train began to move on its own before fatal derailment

[bill937ca]

Investigators say a Canadian Pacific freight train was parked and began to move on its own before it derailed and killed three crew members near the Alberta-British Columbia boundary on Monday.

 

The accident happened just short of the Spiral Tunnels, which were built 110 years ago to help trains traverse the treacherously steep Kicking Horse Pass.

 

It has a slope grade of 2.2 per cent, one of the highest rail slopes anywhere in North America, according to the Encyclopedia of North American Railroads, which includes historical maps of what the author refers to as the region's "arduous" slopes.

 

A search of data on the Transportation Safety Board website shows that since 2004 there have been 64 CP Rail derailments on the 220-kilometre stretch of railway between Field, B.C., and Calgary, nearly half of which happened within 30 kilometres of the treacherous area near Spiral Tunnels. No one was killed in any of those incidents.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/tsb-train-cp-railway-derailment-field-bc-calgary-investigation-1.5006374

Edited February 5, 2019 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

Calgary Herald story with maps.

 

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/tsb-says-cp-rail-train-began-rolling-on-its-own-before-derailment-that-killed-three-crew

 

 

Edited February 5, 2019 by bill937ca

[ben_issacs]

Folks, 

This nasty smash sounds a bit like the one in W.A., but unfortunately  with fatal consequences.

will be interesting to find out the cause, but again, that's off in the future, possibly a year or more away.

Probably harder to clear up than the W.A. one, that was in the wide open spaces of the desert, this is in the confines of a steep gorge.

Regards, 

Bill, 

Melbourne.

 

[ben_issacs]

Folks,

Has anything further come out with details of what caused this stack?

No doubt the Canadian equivalent of our ATSB (Australian Transport Safety Bureau) is working hard on this.

Regards, 

Bil, 

Melbourne.

 

 

[ben_issacs]

Folks, 

Had a look at the Canadian Transportation Safety Board prelim. review. 

Some interesting stuff therein!

Will be interested to see what they say about a train moving off 'by itself', supposedly with the brakes on!

Regards, 

Bill, 

Melbourne.

 

[ben_issacs]

Folks, 

Will Union Pacific be able to sue Canadian Pacific for the loss of the UP loco in this pile-up?

Regards,

Bill,

Melbourne.

 

[bill937ca]

There is a TSBC web page, but it is off line from 8 am on Saturday, March 30 at 8 am on Monday, April 1 (Ottawa time) while we download the enhanced website. 

 

http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/rail/2019/r19c0015/r19c0015.asp