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Re: What is Known So Far
Author: Will
Date: 09-17-2013 - 18:42
This is what I have put together from all the reading I've done.
The train was parked at Nantes on the main, heading east.
The engineer set 11 hand brakes, shut down 4 of the 5 locomotives and I'm speculating set the independent brake. He then went to Lac-Mégantic for the night.
A fire started on the lead locomotive. The fire department showed up and shut off the fuel and put out the fire. A track worker came to the scene and reported what happened to the dispatcher. Everyone left.
An hour later, the air bled off the independent brakes. 11 hand brakes were not enough to hold the train and it started rolling.
The train entered Lac-Mégantic at high speed with the brakes on fire on the 11 cars with hand brakes set. At the switch at the wye, the locomotives made it past the switch and the first tank car behind derailed and uncoupled.
The tank cars began piling up with the shelf couplers doing their job causing the tank cars to all line up. One or more cars was punctured and the burning brakes set the crude on fire causing the explosions.
The locomotives continued down the track another 1/2 mile before coming to a stop.
That is my theory about what happened...just a series of events that unfortunately added up to this disaster.
The train was parked at Nantes on the main, heading east.
The engineer set 11 hand brakes, shut down 4 of the 5 locomotives and I'm speculating set the independent brake. He then went to Lac-Mégantic for the night.
A fire started on the lead locomotive. The fire department showed up and shut off the fuel and put out the fire. A track worker came to the scene and reported what happened to the dispatcher. Everyone left.
An hour later, the air bled off the independent brakes. 11 hand brakes were not enough to hold the train and it started rolling.
The train entered Lac-Mégantic at high speed with the brakes on fire on the 11 cars with hand brakes set. At the switch at the wye, the locomotives made it past the switch and the first tank car behind derailed and uncoupled.
The tank cars began piling up with the shelf couplers doing their job causing the tank cars to all line up. One or more cars was punctured and the burning brakes set the crude on fire causing the explosions.
The locomotives continued down the track another 1/2 mile before coming to a stop.
That is my theory about what happened...just a series of events that unfortunately added up to this disaster.
