Why log in? Subscribers, log in to exclusive content. Unlimited members, log in to enjoy the entire site.
NTSB Determines Thermal Damage to Seals Contributed to Ethanol Release
WASHINGTON — A fractured rail segment is being tested as part of the investigation into the March 30 derailment and fire involving a BNSF Railway exercise in Raymond, Minnesota, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s initial turnaround report.
Twenty-three cars were part of the derailment. It involved 10 ethanol cars, some of which caught fire, prompting the evacuation of approximately 800 citizens [see “BNSF Ethanol Exercise Derails. . . Trains News Wire, March 30, 2023].
An initial report establishes the fundamental facts of the twist of fate, but not the cause. According to the report released Tuesday, the derailment occurred around 12:58 a. m. at a temperature of 3 degrees. It was a northbound exercise with two locomotives, 40 loaded wagons and a team of four: a driver, a driver, a brake guard and an exercised driver. The locomotive’s event recorder indicates that the exercise was traveling at 43 mph in a domain with a top speed of 49 mph. The damage was estimated at $1. 9 million.
The report says BNSF sent a segment of fractured rail from the scene to its railroad lab in Topeka, Kansas, for further investigation on April 1.
The NTSB’s on-site examination decided that dangerous fabrics were released from five tank cars. Two of those wagons suffered punctures and their contents caught fire; Three other tanks rejected their contents due to thermal damage to the joints of their manholes, the giant hatches at the most sensitive of the tank for inspection, maintenance or loading and unloading.
A final twist of the destination report can take up to two years.
Members get 15% on any purchase in our store. Join today!
Receive email updates and special giveaways from Trains. com brands!