Pulling this out of the Chatterbox
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/hazmat-crews-respond-to-train-derailment-near-baker/amp/
From the article, last sentence: “No fires or injuries were reported related to the incident, and fire officials say there is no current threat to the public or the environment.”
But yet the photo captions state: “Aerial photos show heaps of charred, mangled metal from the train derailment. March 27, 2023 (Viewer photo)”
Rhetorical Q: How does metal get ‘charred’ if there was no fire, only a small fuel leak from the locos?
That’s what I can’t figure out, how does iron ore catch fire? Those pictures though, what a mess!
It appears the curvature is moderate - 2 degrees or less. Grade does not seem to be a factor either.
[:|] 2.2% grade not a factor? Most definitely it was. Cima Hill has a history of runaways.
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR9801.pdf
ns145- Indeed 2.2% grade would be an issue; but that info was not available and I used the visual depictions provided
The so-called “charred” metal really isn’t. A lot of it seems to be bare or rusted metal. Whoever was the writer isn’t aware of the kinetic energy involved in a runaway on a steep grade.
Thanks!
Be sure to watch the video. There is no evidence of heavy brake application on the locomotive – I’d have expected at least blued wheels as in some of the other grade-related accidents.
Strange that iron ore would be moving in aluminum hoppers. NOT saying that any ‘fire’ would be associated with that combination.
Will be interesting to find out where the crew left the cab.
Judging by the state of the tank on the lead locomotive, much of the ‘fire’ might have been diesel fuel assisted – and the ‘small leak’ left for hazmat crews to clean up might represent whatever residual fuel remained in the broken tank.
Why strange - lighter weight of car allow more weight for the contents. Freight rates are based on net product weight.
Iron ore is just a tad “dirtier” than iron pellets (taconite).
Besides, “charred” makes better headlines…
A lot of missing information here on the Trains Forum. The train was 154 cars long with 5 locomotives set up 2x1x2. The train crested the top of Cima Hill after climbing the 1% grade. That was the easy if slow part. From the there it it is 17 miles of 2.2% grade with minimal curvature to Kelso, CA. There the grade eases to 1 % down to Cruzero. The train broke a knuckle with the train draped over the top of the hill. After this things are still a bit unclear. It is reported but not confirmed yet that the crew replaced the knuckle and tried to push the front 55 cars back to a joint but the two leading locomotives couldn’t move the 7000+ tons back up the grade and instead started down the hill. The Engineer fortunately immediately bailed off the locomotive. A defect detector located part way down the hill reported the train speed as 118 miles per hour.
The UP runs this train with just 5 AC locomotives down the 2.2% grade of Cima Hill, but when it gets to Yermo 4 more locomotives get added for the 2.2% grade of Cajon Pass, not because UP thinks they need that many but because BNSF rules require nine locomotives for that heavy a train considering the TPOB and Dynamic Brake axle rating. This was an accident just waiting to happen.
Quite the photo:
Where was the ore coming from and where was it going? The only mine that I could think of in that area is the old Kaiser Steel Eagle Mountain one, but that’s been closed for years, IIRC.
The mine is about 2 miles SW of Cedar City, UT, on a branch off the former LA&SL. A shortline brings the loaded cars down to the UP mainline at Lund, UT
A new mine? Don’t see anything that close to Cedar City on the aerials.
Both located near Iron Mountain, in Iron County, UT
Homestake (uranium and vanadium)
37.61619 -113.38813
Columbia (iron ore)
37.61702 -113.38938
I was a little off on the distance, it is 18 miles WSW of Cedar City, UT.
Tree68 has it pegged correctly with the Columbia.
Thank you for your thorough summary. It explains the partial info I had seen elsewhere.
Indeed!