Engineer saves 350 Passengers in Colision w/truck

Crossing accidents are not solely an American problem. Found this story at this linked site:

http://www.gordon-elias.com/blog/1245/vietnamese-railroad-worker-loses-hand-to-save-the-lives-of-350-passengers/

When I left VietNam (1969) there was barely enough track left to run a hand car for a very short distance. So I read this story and thought its’ posting here would be of interest.

FTL: “…HA NOI, VIETNAM — The heroic actions of Vietnamese railroad worker, Truong Xuan Thuc, saved the lives of 350 passengers when he risked his life to pull and hold the emergency brake in the face of an imminent collision with a truck that crossed the tracks…”

Interesting; I wonder what type of ‘emergency’ braking system they use that would require someone to continually manually apply force to keep the brakes set. If it was a handbrake, I find it hard to believe one handbrake would make much of a difference in slowing an entire train. Kinda makes it hard to do a “dump & jump” before an impending nasty collision.

And evidently selfless brave engineers who shove it into emergency and stay at their posts all the way through the collision are not only an American phenomenon, either.

It seems to have been a pretty substantial wreck, with 3 cars derailed and it looks like some of them turned on their sides. However, in the way of most reporters and news accounts, I doubt if all 350 people would have been killed had the engineer not done that, as they imply. But there’s no doubt that his actions minimized/ reduced the number and severity of injuries, casualties, and damage.

The article seems to indicate that the emergency brake had to held in that position to remain effective until the collision - the engineer couldn’t then have ‘joined the birds’ if he wanted to. Am I correct in thinking that American/ Westinghouse air brakes are not that way - that once shoved into the emergenc/ ‘big hole’ position, the brake lever will stay there until a positive action moves it to another position ?

  • Paul North.

"…Am I correct in thinking that American/ Westinghouse air brakes are not that way - that once shoved into the emergenc/ ‘big hole’ position, the brake lever will stay there until a positive action moves it to another position ? "

  • Paul North.

Paul; Not knowing the total circumstances of the accident, and judging by the photo in the linked article, The engineer’s act was certainly a very selfless act to stay with the locomotive and attempt to stop the train.

Fourty plus years since I was in RVN; back then most of the inter-city trucks were straight trucks, and the driver’s back then drove like they were possessed. Probably, something about the roads being mined, and speed would place the damage from the explosion behind them.

I don’t know enough about their current equipment. My guess would be that the power would be of Russian or Chinese origin(?). Westinghouse’s System, (now WABCO) is, I would guess, is somewhat universally adapted by even overseas locomotive builders (?).

The diesel they had in Da Nang in late 60’s, was ( I’m guessing) Chinese origin ( It was pretty well O/S’d when I saw it. Hopefully, one of the posters here can ID the locomotive, as to what it was, based on the photo in the story.

Yes, you are correct.

I’ve headed for the engine room on old F7s and E8s on a few occasions in suburban service when I thought impact with a large truck was imminent (kinda screwed when in the cabcar). Just dump it and then take whatever action seems appropriate. The brakes will stay in emergency until the handle is moved or the brakes leak off.

I could not find . Rgds IGN

I just clicked on the link in the Original Post above, and it worked again for me . . . [%-)] - PDN.

Interestingly, some of the circumstances of how the egineer was rescued and what his actions were illuyminate his actions as selfless. They are in the link below.

This is the linked article in the original post ( it is from the ASIA One News):: "…

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100815-232157.htm

FTA: "…Thanks to Thuc, no one died but he was left trapped in the driver’s cab with his left hand severed and his left leg broken.

Deputy director of the Ha Noi Railway Engine Company Hoang Ngoc Triu, who used to be a train driver for many years, said if Thuc had used the ordinary brake behind his chair, he would not have lost his hand. But Thuc made a decision to use the emergency brake, which was the best way to slow down the train at that moment, and to save the lives of his passengers…"

And this statement is a window into working conditions if Viet Nam: FTA: "…Thuc’s condition was improving, Thoa said.

Thuc had been working as a train driver for more than 20 years, but still couldn’t afford a motorbike. He, his wife and their daughter live in a small apartment of 20sq.m in an old residential building in Ha Noi.

Nguyen Dinh Thong, director of the Ha Noi Railway Engine Company, said they would find him a suitable job after his recovery…"