Re: SP Sunday
Author: OPRRMS
Date: 06-08-2020 - 12:47
Shortline Sammie Wrote:
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> Seems like the ban on friction bearings preceded
> the fuss over alignment control draft gear by a
> few years. I also remember something about the ban
> on non-alignment draft gear came about after a
> wreck in Texas on the EsPee in which three
> SW-1500's were cut in behind the road power and
> landed in the ditch when the engineer went into
> dynamic braking
>
> Sammie
The derailment that prompted the change happened in 1972 on Beaumont Hill when the units were tried in the Colton Helper Pool; specifically, when they failed to negotiate a crossover while shoving.
The result was removable drawbar blocks being retrofitted to 2450-2679 (2680-2759 were built with alignment control drawbars) and rule changes were made regarding their number, placement and operation in consists.