Death toll hits 13 amid revelations Quebec firemen may have cut power to runaway train's brakes

[cali]

<snip>

It has now been confirmed that earlier on the night of the deadly blast, firefighters were called to extinguish a blaze in the train's motor.

The train had been stopped at the neighbouring town of Nantes at the time.

Nantes fire chief Patrick Lambert told Reuters the crew switched off the engine as they extinguished a "good-sized" fire in the engine, probably caused by a fuel or oil line break in the engine.

Fire officials say they were following protocols.

<snip>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-09/firemen-may-have-cut-power-to-runaway-trains-brakes/4807576

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. ooooopsie....

[HooptieWagon]

2. RR is lying.

I made a long post describing Westinghouse RR brakes in another thread. In a nutshell, cutting airpressure from the locomotive APPLIES the brakes to every car in the train.

[exboyfil]

3. I don't know anything about locomotive brakes

but we have to pump off the park brake on a tractor if it has to be moved without use of the engine and hydraulic system. Brakes should always be default locked without power otherwise an important safety feature is missed.

[HooptieWagon]

5. Yes, thats how train brakes work. At least on freight.

Each car has an individual compressed air system that applies the brakes. The entire train has a central compressed air system, fed from the locomotive, that overrides each cars brakes and causes them to release. Reduction of the central pressure causes each and every car's brakes to apply.

[MH1]

4. Likewise, I don't have RR knowledge, but it makes NO sense

that the firemen cutting the engine would cause the brakes to be OFF.

I heard on BBC this morning that it was normal for an engineer to park the train when they had to take a rest due to fatigue rules. They said they would leave the engine running so there would be power to the brakes. My immediate thought was, that's an accident waiting to happen! They damn sure shouldn't be parking at the TOP OF A HILL if that's the best they can do.

All that said, if they aren't lying, then who was there to check out the train after the fire where the firemen cut the engine? Shouldn't there have been some one from the RR there?

[applegrove]

6. Yes. It is very upsetting.