We Could Have Told Them This Will Happen!

[Mountain]

Most of you know through model railway experience that one puts lightweight rolling stock at the back. Now while most shorter trains are not a problem, but even the long standard gauges have the same issues as can be seen!

https://youtu.be/UQhd8tKH0jc?si=w4HWxw8cKLWsvoV9

Don't forget that in America, their trains are massively long, so there is a whole lot of weight behind it. It only takes a slight track defect or a sharp curve that is taken without care, or even if all seems to be ok, it is the lightweight stock that give the problems.

[Jaz]

Hiding weights under wagon loads

[Bufferstop]

The "Engineer" (driver) is probably that far away he can't see what's happening, and with two or three locos working together he's not very likely to feel it either. Propelling very long trains can be very dodgy. Good practise says that the train should be put in a loop except for the last few wagons. The loco's then run around, pick them up and shunt them into the siding, before returning to the head of the train. One of the drivers assistants should have been riding the end car with a walkie talkie in hand. He could then have alerted the driver when the fist bogie came off the track, if not warned him when the rocking started.

[Bigmet]

...there is a whole lot of weight behind it...

On which subject, you should read the report attached of the loss of control of a 42,000 ton ore train, descending to Port Hedland, Western Australia; the 100 mph almost certainly a world record for an iron ore train. No one hurt was the good news.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/in ... o-2018-018

[Jaz]

Oh my bad I thought it was regards models not real
But yes modellers quickly learn certain styles of driving are not good for your trains
Ours are expensive but I do not know if an occasion where anyone died on a model

[Bigmet]

It's quite fun with UK steam loco models in 4mm, some of which can be very small. I have to make sure that I put on locos with sufficient stopping power to ensure they can bring the train they are on to rest, before they overrun the section end when running down gradient. (It's rather boring now that all RTR OO diesel traction units are available both way heavier than necessary, and with all wheels drive can pull the side out of a house, and also 'stop anything'.)

[RFS]

And another one that happened at the same location about 3 years ago - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyMx-ta_sY

Train was full of new cars too.

[ChrisGreaves]

And another one that happened at the same location about 3 years ago - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyMx-ta_sY

I love the way the camera operator walks away (0m23s) from his camera seconds before the train derails (I suspect he was alerted by the sound of derailment and that caused him to walk away), also how, at 0m55s he appears to be waiting for the train to right itself and get on with the job!
Cheers, Chris