by Jeff Tuzik (Click here for Part 2.) Your phone rings on a Tuesday morning. There are a couple of double-stack well cars on the ground. That’s the kind of wakeup call a derailment investigator typically gets when something has gone badly awry, and the search for what happened and …
by Jeff Tuzik A lot of derailments happen at switches and turnouts. Many are low-speed, low-energy derailments that happen in yards and sidings. But they’re still costly and disruptive. Evaluating and optimizing wheel/rail contact conditions at these locations is different than it is on open track. It requires specific tools, …
by Jeff Tuzik Derailments have many causes. Some are fairly simple and straightforward, others involve a complex combination of factors and circumstances. Determining the root causes is what keeps derailment investigators busy, and what helps railroads avoid such derailments in the future. Over the years, and over the course of …
by Jeff Tuzik The Great Dismal Swamp. An ominous name. And in June of 2019, it was the site of a Norfolk Southern derailment. At NS, all derailments are investigated to determine the cause(s) and to provide data that could help prevent future incidents. Brad Kerchof, formerly Director of Research …
George Fowler, a veteran investigator, analyzed the 2016 Grey derailment involving a Canadian National train, highlighting that derailments often stem from combined vehicle and track factors. His investigation revealed issues like track geometry, maintenance, and vehicle dynamics, emphasizing the importance of thorough evaluations to prevent such incidents in the future.
Cory Hogan, Director of Vehicle Dynamics at Ensco Rail, highlights the use of digital twins in predicting rail system issues before they occur. Ensco employs advanced simulations and data collection to model vehicle dynamics, enhance safety, and streamline railroad operations, aiming to develop increasingly sophisticated and accurate digital twins for rail networks.
Presenters at the 2022 Wheel/Rail Interaction conference looked at heat and track configuration issues as they relate to derailment potential in heavy-grade, high-tonnage territory. They also looked at the role of Operating parameters in derailment potential, and at the findings from 20 years of investigations into derailments. By Bob Tuzik …
by Bob Tuzik, Executive Program Director – Wheel Rail Seminars If there are lessons to be learned from a derailment — and, of course, there are — then Gary Wolf’s The Complete Field Guide to Modern Derailment Investigation is a master class on finding, analyzing, and understanding the marks on …