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Rail defect detected one day before Lynchburg derailment
The source for this story, from wherever it was obtained, in the Richmond Times Dispatch team, failed as so many non-train-stream journalists do (tnx, !/2 term sarah.) their RR’ing 101 class.
This is because a rail defect, discovered, takes the track out of service. A track defect is not as predatory… track defects are deficiencys, usually. Rail defects are a hungry mountain lion if you’re a fawn.
Well Francis, the article says ‘rail defect,’ so CSX should have taken the line out of service.
Rail defects do not automatically take the track out of service. The actions that must be taken vary by the type of defect and the size. Some types and sizes actually require no actions except identifying them, while others require having a 213.7(a) person with at least one year of experience watch each wheel across the defect. The details can be found in 49 CFR, Part 213. Remember, many defects are found using an ultrasound or other technique, and can be as small as 5-10% of the head only, or just a 1/2" long. These often require the slowing of trains, but the minimum requirements are posted by the FRA in their Track Safety Standards. Replacing the rail is generally best, but is not required in many conditions.
The 30-day rule is found in Part 213.9(b), but it does NOT apply to rail defects. All initial actions must be taken before the next train, but some of the actions are simply slowing trains over the defects or making plans to replace it over a certain period of time. Only one or two types and sizes of rail defects get 30 days to take actions, so I don’t know where the 30 days to take action comes from.
Dr. Jennings is correct, Edmond Bates from Texas is incorrect. They MAY have had a slow order on it. It may have been a defect that mandated a 30MPH slow order on it but the track was rated at 25MPH so there wasn’t one issued. We get that all the time. Defect detected but the speed is slow enough no order needs to be issued.
I used to see scary looking rail “divots” on Conrail that caused me to call them to ask them/alert them pretty regularly. In each and every case, I got “It’s on the list!”. One time, they actually sent someone out to look at it, he said it wasn’t as bad as it looked, and it looked, and sounded, very bad when a wheel would hit it. Nothing ever happened, and eventually the section of rail would be replaced, but I have to wonder what a really bad defect looked like?
So if there is a defect found, it gets fixed within 30 days, or after the derailment, whatever comes first?
Having had the privilege of taking a Rail Inspection class from Dr. Jennings once upon a time, I certainly would yield to his expertise in the field; a defect discovered the day before an accident would be a nasty coincidence that wouldn’t even have had time to get into the Report sequence unless the rail was broken in two.