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Re: 35th Anniversary Since the SP Roseville Railyard Explosion
Author: PD Weatherhead
Date: 07-07-2008 - 19:55
In 1975 I was just out of law school and working for Pullman Standard the maker of the box cars. I spent a year in Sacramento working with local counsel on our defense. We were sued under product liability theory, although we made the cars to the Navy specs and had delivered them in 1951. There were about 8 other manufacturers who were also involved in addition to the SP and the US.
After reviewing tens of thousands of documents, inspecting about 500 other boxcars which were made as part of the same Navy order and taking many depositions, I am convinced that a new high friction brakeshoe was installed on one of the cars without changing the seven other brakeshoes. This shoe absorbed more energy than the others resulting in overheated causing sparks to ignite the wood floor which after 20+ years of service was impregnated with nitrates.
Spark shields were installed on many cars after a mysterious explosion of a similar car in Arkansas a few years earlier. The spark shields were installed on the bottom of the stringers which left a gap of about 8" between the spark shield and the wood floor. This space created a place for birds nest and other tinder to collect.
At least two different people reported see a red hot wheel: one near Donner Pass approximately at 4:00 AM and one near Roseville at approximately 5:30 AM. That would indicate an overheated wheel/brakeshoe. The guy near the Pass was camping and taperecorded trains as they went by. The Navy cars had the old style friction bearings which made a hissing sound as opposed to the modern roller bearing which whooshed, which made this train memorable to him. He was a 20 year old college student who was obviously a train fanatic.
The bombs were not fused but could ignite a low order explosion--- basically splitting a bomb open and then the explosive material would burn like an unwrapped firecracker. The split bomb would burn at high enough temperature to cause the other bombs to explode as they were designed. This would explain the reports of smoke and fire prior to the explosions.
The reports of "hippies" running from the yard shortly before the explosions were never confirmed.
The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) in all bureaucratic splendor refused to investigate because the train was not moving at the time of the explosions.
It was a great experience for a young lawyer to cut his teeth on.
After reviewing tens of thousands of documents, inspecting about 500 other boxcars which were made as part of the same Navy order and taking many depositions, I am convinced that a new high friction brakeshoe was installed on one of the cars without changing the seven other brakeshoes. This shoe absorbed more energy than the others resulting in overheated causing sparks to ignite the wood floor which after 20+ years of service was impregnated with nitrates.
Spark shields were installed on many cars after a mysterious explosion of a similar car in Arkansas a few years earlier. The spark shields were installed on the bottom of the stringers which left a gap of about 8" between the spark shield and the wood floor. This space created a place for birds nest and other tinder to collect.
At least two different people reported see a red hot wheel: one near Donner Pass approximately at 4:00 AM and one near Roseville at approximately 5:30 AM. That would indicate an overheated wheel/brakeshoe. The guy near the Pass was camping and taperecorded trains as they went by. The Navy cars had the old style friction bearings which made a hissing sound as opposed to the modern roller bearing which whooshed, which made this train memorable to him. He was a 20 year old college student who was obviously a train fanatic.
The bombs were not fused but could ignite a low order explosion--- basically splitting a bomb open and then the explosive material would burn like an unwrapped firecracker. The split bomb would burn at high enough temperature to cause the other bombs to explode as they were designed. This would explain the reports of smoke and fire prior to the explosions.
The reports of "hippies" running from the yard shortly before the explosions were never confirmed.
The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) in all bureaucratic splendor refused to investigate because the train was not moving at the time of the explosions.
It was a great experience for a young lawyer to cut his teeth on.
