I've stated previously that it looked to me like an intentional act as to have a train like this roll away requires several unlikely things to happen. But then most accidents are the result of many unlikely things happening in perfect unison that results in disaster.

IF the engineer had not set enough hand brakes on the locomotives AND cars, AND had not performed a release test (release all air brakes to see if the hand brakes will hold the train - a REQUIREMENT BY RULE on most RR's), AND the engine brake air beld off after the locomotives were shut down, AND the trainline was tight enough to hold brakepipe pressure even if the locomotives had bled off, THEN the train WOULD roll away. ONLY if all these things happened in unison would this train have rolled away on its own.

Or, someone who knew what they were doing simply walked along the train and released enough handbrakes until it started to roll. Really not that difficult to imagine someone doing - if they were whacked enough to think this was a wise choice.

I definitely DO NOT think running trains with only one person on board is a good idea, or that leaving a train unattended ON A GRADE is wise. Sure, it saved the RR money and they got away with it for a long time - right up until this happened. Take away enough safeguards and backups and the likelihood of a convergence of circumstances that results in an accident goes up.

If there had been another crewmember it would have been two times easier to PROPERLY tie down the train and say "you know, eh, we really should do a release test before we go to the hotel". Instead one person decided "I'm tired, a few handbrakes will do, the air will hold it, I've done it a hundred times". It's the hundred and first time that'll get ya.....

99 out