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Amtrak

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by BitterYoungMatador2, May 14, 2015.

  1. BitterYoungMatador2

    BitterYoungMatador2 Well-Known Member

    Eight confirmed dead now and there's still not a thread on here about this...so here it is. \

    Live Amtrak crash updates
     
  2. murphyc

    murphyc Well-Known Member

    Sounds like the engineer is in some hot water, which makes sense because the train was going 106 mph. As much as I'd like to know why he had the train going that fast, I wouldn't be surprised if he's so lawyered up the truth takes a long time to come out, if ever.
     
  3. Vombatus

    Vombatus Well-Known Member

    It's protocol for the train crew to undergo immediate drug and alcohol testing after an accident. The results will be interesting. Also, there's a strong possibility of distracted operation - namely cell/smartphones. My bet is on one of the two, substance use or distraction, and maybe even both.
     
  4. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    They haven't ruled out that it was mechanical failure or brakes not working or something wrong with the track. Those trains do up to 125 mph. On the curve, the speed limit was 50. It wouldn't be his fault if he wasn't able to slow the train down due to mechanical failure. Not saying that is what happened, but we don't know.
     
  5. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    It was important for everyone to mention that he's gay. Crashed it cuz he's gay.
     
  6. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    I saw a report that said he doesn't remember anything other than coming to in the wreckage, finding his cell phone and calling 911.
     
  7. BDC99

    BDC99 Well-Known Member

    Definitely true. Could very well have been mechanical, and it was totally unfair for the mayor to blast the guy until he knows the facts. But since I'm not the mayor, I will say that my first thought was distraction by a cell phone. I hope not.
     
  8. Dyno

    Dyno Well-Known Member

    I'm guessing he fell asleep at the controls.
     
  9. Vombatus

    Vombatus Well-Known Member

    Track failure: no. A curve rated at 50 mph is not going to hold a train going 106. There will be broken rails and roadbed everywhere, as a result of (not as the cause of) the high speed derailment.

    Brake failure: no on several accounts. Each car has air brakes which are pressurized to keep the brakes OFF. Loss of pressure applies the brakes. Also, it's been reported that the train went into "emergency" braking. That can happen two ways. Loss of pressure as described above, typically when a brake hose fails, cars become uncoupled, etc., or by the engineer throwing the train into emergency. The latter is likely if the engineer realized where he was and tried to save the situation. In this case, it was far too late due to the excessive speed. Anyway, braking wasn't the problem. Speed was.

    Mechanical issues causing excessive speed: I don't think the area was on a large downhill grade. I can't see a runaway train, especially since the emergency brakes did slow the train from 106 down to 102 before impact / sudden deceleration. Throttle stuck open? Maybe, but an attentive engineer should have responded much sooner and applied the air brakes and dynamic brakes much sooner, well before the curve.

    I highly doubt mechanical. This will probably be human error from substance abuse and/or distraction.

    One thing it could be was a suicide attempt by the engineer, but that would generally only work in a head on collision with another train, and the switches are controlled through Automatic Traffic Control, a head on collision is out of the engineer's hands. So I doubt suicide attempt. Although, I do know a gal who tried to commit suicide by jumping off a two story building.
     
  10. BitterYoungMatador2

    BitterYoungMatador2 Well-Known Member

    Something is fishy here. I've taken Amtrak on that route from Philadelphia to NYC. It's a giant S-bend from 30th St. Station through north Philly until you straighten out onto the I-95 corridor in northeast Philadelphia. He knew this. He had been at this job for four years. Not to mention he was seven minutes into the trip, so I can't see falling asleep being the cause.
     
  11. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    That is exactly my thought. I do that train ride a lot. In fact, I was supposed to be on a train from NY to Philly this afternoon. He had just left 30th Street station a few minutes before. What are the chances that he was asleep?
     
  12. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    And, the train accelerated right right before the crash. So, is suicide by train a real possibility?


    The speed of the ill-fated Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia on Tuesday night accelerated right before the crash, authorities revealed today.

    Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board have said the train was traveling in excess speeds of 100 mph at the time of the crash -- twice the speed limit in that section of track -- right before the crash.
    ...
    Sumwalt said video from inside the cabin shows that 65 seconds before the crash, the train’s speed went above 70 mph. Just 16 seconds before the end of the recording, the train’s speed went above 100 mph, Sumwalt added.

    Amtrak Crash: Train Accelerated Before Derailment, NTSB Says - ABC News
     
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