Metro North Derailment

Oops - well it has been 40 years since I lived there (and on Staten Island at that, lol).

I do wonder a bit at running that fast backwards. Model trains of any scale and gauge are much more susceptible to derailment when being pushed rather then pulled. Real trains obviously far less but I think it might be a factor particularly if excessive speed is involved.

Ben
 
I am a fairly regular rider on that line and am quite familiar with that area. I can confirm the engine was pushing from the rear. That is a rather sharp curve and the speed reduces from 70 down to 30 mph. A number of passengers reported the train was travelling faster than usual as it entered the curve. Local news is now reporting the engineer has stated he applied the brakes and nothing happened. As a side note, the tracks in question were once part of the New York Central mainline. I will also add it is normal for metro north trains to operate both ways with the engine on the north side, this orients the engine to be on the far or north end of the platform when entering or leaving Grand Central Terminal.
 
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A question for the New Yorkers. Just before the curve there is a junction and a single track line that runs straight south across a swing bridge over the mouth of the Harlem River and continues south in Manhatten as a twin track line, disappearing into a tunnel at around 128th street. I always thought that this was the old west side high line for freight, now abandoned, but I see in photos today they are running passenger trains on it. Does this line connect to Penn Station down the west side somewhere?
 
gfisher said:
A question for the New Yorkers. Just before the curve there is a junction and a single track line that runs straight south across a swing bridge over the mouth of the Harlem River and continues south in Manhatten as a twin track line, disappearing into a tunnel at around 128th street. I always thought that this was the old west side high line for freight, now abandoned, but I see in photos today they are running passenger trains on it. Does this line connect to Penn Station down the west side somewhere?
Click to expand...
Yes I believe it did connect with the old highline (now a linear raised park) and currently serves Amtrak from the north to Penn Station.
 
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Now for a bit of speculation...

From what I can see in the photos, it appears that there was some recent track work done there. Is it possible that there was some misaligned or out of gauge track that could have caused the derailment? Knowing what I do, from model railroading which of course is far out of the universe compared to the real thing, when push lighter coaches, they tend to derail easier and much easier on out of gauge track.

If the train was moving too quickly, which a lot of people keep saying, and hit the curve with an out of gauge rail, this definitely could have caused the train to derail as the coaches would have ridden up over the track instead of staying on it.

John
 
Hello guys,

My name is Jennifer Danel, I'm a graphics editor with the New York Times.

I'm looking for reference images of the metro-north shoreline cab. Specifically, operator controls for a graphic I'm working on for the paper.

Some of you have done AMAZING renderings (http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?72539-Metro-North-progress-shots) and my hope is that someone here has a clear shot of the operator's compartment. Or, may know of a resource that may have some.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Best,
jd

Jennifer.daniel (at) nytimes.com
 
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Hello Jennifer and welcome to the forums here.

I'm sure someone can help you and will respond shortly.

I have taken the liberty of editing your post and your email address as this is a public forum that can be surfed by spam bots. The worst thing you'd want is more spam than you already receive.

Regards,

John Citron
Moderator for N3V Trainz Forums.
 
I read on the "Trains" magazine website that the engineer reported that he braked and the brakes didn't work. If so - that may be the problem.
 
Does Amtrak use those tracks? A friend will be going on Amtrak trains in few days and I told him about the accident.
 
And to the Australian news producers, editors, readers etc, it is not a subway train, it's a train operated by Metro North. Journalists, just because the train operated in, through etc New York, does not mean that it's a subway train.

Even after they are contacted, they still don't correct it - Sure, understandable in very early reports with little information.
 
Aircraft are the safest means of transportation, as with a millions of fliers on flights daily, worldwide, very few even get a cut requiring a band aid.

Railroads are very safe, with very few passenger derailments per day (but have allot of minor to major freight derailments).

Automobiles are horrific in injuries per day.

If your friend is walking, he has the greatest incidence of being injured, like the girl that walked right into the mall water fountain, texting on her cell phone, with headphones on.
 
jeffmorris said:
Does Amtrak use those tracks? A friend will be going on Amtrak trains in few days and I told him about the accident.
Click to expand...
Amtrak trains leave the main line just before the curve where the accident took place (please see previous post in this thread) Amtrak service has resumed between NYC and Albany however delays are expected.
 
I took a quick look and I could not find any MTA cab cars on the DLS or TCR sites. Perhaps someone else can find one.

Just saw on the news from the NTSB that Mr. Rockefeller (the engineer) was doing 82 MPH as he entered the 30MPH turn. Not looking good for him.
 
The black box results are in. Apparently the train was going 82MPH as it entered the curve

YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) – The Metro-North Railroad train that derailed while rounding a riverside curve in the Bronx was traveling at 82 mph at the time, a National Transportation Safety Board official said Monday. Two event recorders from the train have been examined, and preliminary information indicates that the train went through the curve just ahead of the station at 82 mph, in a zone where the speed limit drops from 70 mph to 30 mph, according to NTSB board member Earl Weener.

The NTSB also found that about 5 seconds before the engine ground to a halt, brake pressure dropped from 120 psi to 0, Weener said. Investigators still must determine the functioning of the brakes and why the throttle went to 0, he said.
Click to expand...

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/12/02/feds-seek-cause-of-deadly-metro-north-crash/
 
Wow! one thing is for sure it would not have have mattered what end the engine was on, at that speed there was no way the train was gonna stay on the track rounding that sharp curve.
 
The question should be more like why was he going 82 around a 30mph curve? From his testimony, he said the brakes weren't working. It's his word unless someone in that cab car saw him doing something else.
 
I agree he was going to fast for the 30 mph curve but why was he going 82 mph in a 70 mph zone prior to the 30 mph curve? The answer to that may prove interesting.

Ben
 
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