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[DragonSpeed]

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_cn_derailment20051024&ref=rss

Another CN derailment 
Last updated Oct 24 2005 02:25 PM PDT
CBC News
A CN freight train has gone off the tracks in the Cheakamus Canyon 22 kilometres north of Squamish, in the same area that another CN train derailed back in August.



 
Spokesperson Graham Dallas says the train of empty lumber cars went off the tracks on Monday morning.

"There was a northbound CN train derailed this morning north of Squamish about 10:45. Involved in that were 10 empty centre-beam lumber cars which derailed in the area of the Cheakamus Canyon," he says.

"The crew was not injured in the derailment, there were no dangerous goods on the train and there are no environmental concerns."

Dallas says the cause of the derailment is unknown at this point.

He says the former B.C. Rail line is a dedicated freight route, and that other traffic will be held up until the accident is cleaned up.

This derailment is in the same canyon where a CN train left the tracks in August, spilling 40,000 litres of sodium hydroxide into the Cheakamus River killing a large number of fish.

FROM AUG. 8, 2005: Residents complain they weren't warned about toxic spill
CN has had 10 derailments in the past three months.

The worst accident involved spilling 700,000 litres of oil into Lake Wabamun west of Edmonton in August. CN has said it will cost the company $28 million to clean up the popular lake. 

[BwiBwi]

What was the cause of derailment? (last time)

[scruffy]

hopfully they can figure out why the trains are derailing there

[GoldHammeredCroc]

I've talked to some railway guys while fishing and it seems that there was no problem when the original BC rail trains ran it because they were much smaller.  It seems the track in fairly tight and narrow so now when CN runs their 100 + freight cars, or any train much longer than what BC rail used to run, its like the shoelace effect.  There is probably some scientific terminology but essentially if you put a shoelace on the ground and put some curves in it like a S, it wants to become a straight line.  Once something forces it to stay in an S shape when pulled, there is much force on the inside curves and this is probably what causes the derailment.

My 2 cents.

[allwaysfishin]

sounds bought right. I know a guy that runs the trains and the problem was not a concern on the smaller train lengths. now that the publicly owned railway has been sold by our government, it no longer can be regulated by public/government operating restrictions. private ownership has led to drastically increased train lengths and in many track areas this is not safe. A side to side wobble starting at the forward engines while cornering is transfered down the train, car by car, increasing intensity as it goes. The longer the train, the stronger this effect will become, possibly "throwing" cars from the track at the half way point or beyond. Shorter trains are much safer and less succeptible to this effect and should be mandatory, government and industry know about the problem but time and money talks.

[Rodney]

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/news/story.html?id=38a194fc-b1af-4eca-a29f-483dc6c15a0a

Second derailment worries Squamish
Empty lumber cars tumble into Cheakamus Canyon; no damage done
 
Kim Thompson
Special to The Province; The Canadian Press

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

SQUAMISH -- A Squamish councillor says yesterday's derailment of a CN Rail train in Cheakamus Canyon -- the second in less than three months -- is a result of negligence by CN.

"We need to find the cause of these derailments and CN needs to be more accountable," said Coun. Raj Kahlon.

"The canyon is a tough train route and requires smaller trains at slower speeds.

"We are lucky these cars weren't holding toxic chemicals.

"Something must be done because I don't want to see all of our fish dying again."

Said Squamish Mayor Ian Sutherland: "I don't have a comfort level with CN. Today's derailment highlights the fact that trains have challenges going through the Cheakamus Canyon.

"Safety experts are aware of our concerns and we are letting them deal with it from a science point of view."

Nine empty lumber cars plunged into the canyon at 11:30 a.m.

They landed about 500 metres away from the Cheakamus River.

The cars, part of a 122-car train, tumbled off the track 30 kilometres north of Squamish, the site of August's derailment of a 144-car CN freight train.

In the August derailment, nine cars tumbled into the canyon and one split open, spilling highly-acidic (mod note - this is the moronic repoorter's clause...) caustic soda into the river.

It raised pH levels and killed nearly every species of fish in its wake, including steelhead, pinks, lamprey eels and chinook.

As a result of the spill, several local governments -- including the District of North Vancouver and the Squamish Lillooet Regional District -- passed motions saying they are concerned by CN Rail practices. That accident is still under investigation by the Transport Ministry.

CN crews had the line back in operation by last night.

Graham Dallas of CN said there were no injuries, no environmental damage, and the cause of the derailment is unknown.

"We are always reviewing our operations from a safety perspective," Dallas said.

"In this case we will be carrying out rigorous investigation and will take appropriate steps to make sure this does not happen again."

The Squamish Environmental Conservation Society is seeking support from local governments for a petition to the federal government calling for a progressive penalty system for corporations causing repeated environmental damage.

The Squamish Lillooet Regional District yesterday supported the proposal.

"It makes a lot of sense to penalize these companies," Sutherland said. "The ultimate concern is to make sure CN does not escape possible fines."

This is the 10th derailment for CN in the last three months.

In the worst, 700,000 litres of oil spilled into a lake near Edmonton in August. CN estimates it will cost $28 million to clean it up.

[keithr]

actually, I think caustic soda is a base, not an acid.  Still, not nice stuff to be putting in a stream.

[Sterling C]

Caustic soda= NaOH, very baisic.

[meca_357]

so theres no effect on sport fisheries or anything is there? areas opened remain open or whats the deal

[BwiBwi]

Yes its basic. Rodney point it out. It's the reporter's error.

[Sandy]

word from a family member who is a retired  bc rail engineer,CN is pushing them harder, faster, longer,when that line was built it was considered rough. PNG -BC Rail found what out would work considering the track /bed,  topo etc. the new managers seem to want to redifine the margines of safety again ( my comment)