Ohio train de-railment, massive chemical spill/burn what's going with that?

[amorphous_constellation]

This clip suggests overloading as a possible issue.

 

[Revoltingest]

This clip suggests overloading as a possible issue.

I wouldn't expect over-loading to be an issue
with a tanker car. Ya canna over-fill those.
Freight cars could be over-loaded, but the
wheel systems are pretty tolerant of that.
Also, failure due to over-loading is unlikely to
happen during the over-loading because
fatigue failure is a statistical thingie based on
cumulative damage.
We need thorough forensic engineering analysis
to really understand what happened. All these
amateurs are just guessing. I'm guessing too,
but with some background in the field.

BTW, rail car axle failures led to
the dawn of metal fatigue analysis.

 

[Stevicus]

I wouldn't expect over-loading to be an issue
with a tanker car. Ya canna over-fill those.
Freight cars could be over-loaded, but the
wheel systems are pretty tolerant of that.
Also, failure due to over-loading is unlikely to
happen during the over-loading because
fatigue failure is a statistical thingie based on
cumulative damage.
We need thorough forensic engineering analysis
to really understand what happened. All these
amateurs are just guessing. I'm guessing too,
but with some background in the field.

BTW, rail car axle failures led to
the dawn of metal fatigue analysis.

It appears that a lot of the criticism is focused more on the response to the crash than the cause, which is also being looked at. Then there's the question of whether or not it's safe. They say the water is safe, but then, maybe not.

The amateurs wouldn't have to guess if the people who know would just give straight answers. Apparently, the people who know in this case didn't show up to the meeting.

There's enough media attention on this that there will no doubt be plenty of experts on the job to investigate this fully and give the public the answers they're clamoring for.

 

[Revoltingest]

It appears that a lot of the criticism is focused more on the response to the crash than the cause, which is also being looked at. Then there's the question of whether or not it's safe. They say the water is safe, but then, maybe not.

Problems with disaster mitigation & relief....
- People tend to not be really committed until it happens.
By then well designed advance planning is impossible.
- Advance planning is expensive. Many oppose
solving a problem that hasn't happened yet.
- Even if a good job is done, it won't be good enuf in some way.

The amateurs wouldn't have to guess if the people who know would just give straight answers. Apparently, the people who know in this case didn't show up to the meeting.

Straight answers about breaking news with
complex issues that require expert analysis?
Dream on, bruderherz!

There's enough media attention on this that there will no doubt be plenty of experts on the job to investigate this fully and give the public the answers they're clamoring for.

Eventually the dust will settle.

 

[fantome profane]

Eventually the dust will settle.

Aye, that’s the problem.

 

[Revoltingest]

Aye, that’s the problem.

No, that's when we've info to consider solutions.

 

[Revoltingest]

This clip suggests overloading as a possible issue.

What failure mode would you imagine for what
kind of car being over-loaded by how much?

 

[amorphous_constellation]

What failure mode would you imagine for what
kind of car being over-loaded by how much?

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, you're asking how it would fail if it was overloaded? I have no engineering experience really, so I can't really give you an answer. From the top the tanker to the bottom of the wheel, are there any components at all that you can imagine would compress, and get hot? Another question, probably a stupid one, might be this: if the tanker is carrying something gaseous, does the weight accumulate at the top of the tanker, and thus do the lower components receive a jerky and uneven load as the train moves forward?

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, you're asking how it would fail if it was overloaded? I have no engineering experience really, so I can't really give you an answer. From the top the tanker to the bottom of the wheel, are there any components at all that you can imagine would compress, and get hot? Another question, probably a stupid one, might be this: if the tanker is carrying something gaseous, does the weight accumulate at the top of the tanker, and thus do the lower components receive a jerky and uneven load as the train moves forward?

I'm asking about the basis for the speculations.
I wondered if you had breaking news with some
useful details.
Some thoughts...
- Tankers aren't susceptible to over-loading. Liquid
densities (setting absurd things like mercury) are
far lower than materials on freight cars, eg, steel.
- It isn't known that the car that caused the derailment
(if it was a car) was a tanker.
- If a tanker carrying a gas wouldn't see any density
variation within the tank.
- Over-heating could happen with bearings & brakes.
- Over-loading doesn't work the way most people think.
Failure is due to repetitive stress fluctuation below the
yield & tensile strengths of the materials. There is no
predicting exactly when failure will occur. It's statistical.
Damage begins to accumulate at the microscopic level,
& is hidden when it becomes macroscopic, until failure
is catastrophic. Then the flaws within become visible.
There are non-destructive testing methods to detect
incipient cracks. I don't know with what frequency
they're used on rail components.

 

[fantome profane]

Some thoughts...
- Tankers aren't susceptible to over-loading. Liquid
densities (setting absurd things like mercury) are
far lower than materials on freight cars, eg, steel.
- It isn't known that the car that caused the derailment
(if it was a car) was a tanker.
- If a tanker carrying a gas wouldn't see any density
variation within the tank.

Am I correct in thinking this train consisted of both tankers and freight cars? If one or more of the freight cars were overloaded that could result in a derailment. It doesn’t matter if the tanker caused the derailed or not.

And no, I have no additional details of what happened. But it is possible one or more of the freight cars were overloaded. It is possible there was a problem with the brakes, it is possible it was operator error due to over work and understaffing. And obviously it could be a combination of these things.

 

[Revoltingest]

Am I correct in thinking this train consisted of both tankers and freight cars?

I don't know.

If one or more of the freight cars were overloaded that could result in a derailment. It doesn’t matter if the tanker caused the derailed or not.
And no, I have no additional details of what happened. But it is possible one or more of the freight cars were overloaded. It is possible there was a problem with the brakes, it is possible it was operator error due to over work and understaffing. And obviously it could be a combination of these things.

Going out on a limb....
I say that something went wrong.

 

[fantome profane]

 

[pearl]

I say that something went wrong.

Here's the answer;
'This is why God made pipelines': GOP senator gives nonsensical explanation of Ohio train derailment
'This is why God made pipelines': GOP senator gives nonsensical explanation of Ohio train derailment - Alternet.org

 

[Revoltingest]

'This is why God made pipelines...

I like the joke.
I make similar ones regularly.
I'd never trust Alternet's explanation.