Train Simulator: GWR Saint Class Amp; Travelling Post Office Loco Add-On Key
Raingarda Krzynowek
On 06 July 2013, shortly before 0100 Eastern Daylight Time, eastward Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway freight train MMA-002, which was parked unattended for the night at Nantes, Quebec, started to roll. The train travelled approximately 7.2 miles, reaching a speed of 65 mph. At around 0115, when MMA-002 approached the centre of the town of Lac-Mgantic, Quebec, 63 tank cars carrying petroleum crude oil (UN 1267) and 2 box cars derailed. About 6 million litres of petroleum crude oil spilled. There were fires and explosions, which destroyed 40 buildings, 53 vehicles, and the railway tracks at the west end of Megantic Yard. Forty-seven people were fatally injured. There was environmental contamination of the downtown area and of the adjacent river and lake.
The LE then contacted the RTC in Bangor, Maine, who controlled movements of United States crews east of Megantic. During this conversation, the LE indicated that the lead locomotive had continued to experience mechanical difficulties throughout the trip and that excessive black and white smoke was now coming from its smoke stack. The LE expected that the condition would settle on its own. It was mutually agreed to leave the train as it was and that performance issues would be dealt with in the morning.
Train Simulator: GWR Saint Class amp; Travelling Post Office Loco Add-On key
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At 2340, a call was made to a 911 operator to report a fire on a train at Nantes. The Nantes Fire Department responded to the call and arrived on site, and the Sret du Quebec (SQ) called the Farnham RTC to inform the company of the fire. After MMA unsuccessfully attempted to contact an employee with LE and mechanical experience, an MMA track foreman was sent to meet with the fire department at Nantes. When the track foreman arrived on site, the firefighters indicated that the emergency fuel cut-off switch had been used to shut down the lead locomotive. This shutdown put out the fire by removing the fuel source. Firefighters also moved the electrical breakers inside the locomotive cab to the off position to eliminate a potential ignition source. These actions were in keeping with railway instructions.
Both the firefighters and the track foreman were in discussion with the Farnham RTC to report on the condition of the train. Subsequently, the fire department and the MMA track foreman left the scene.
The locomotive consist did not derail; rather, it separated from the rest of the train and then further separated into 2 sections. Data downloaded from the de la Gare Street crossing (located by Megantic Station) showed that the 2 sections were separated by 104 feet. Both continued travelling eastward onto the Moosehead Subdivision, coming to rest on an ascending grade in the eastern part of town and stopping approximately 475 feet apart. During the course of this entire sequence, the train passed through 13 level crossings.
After approximately 1.5 hours, while emergency and evacuation efforts were under way, the leading section of the locomotive consist rolled backwards toward downtown and contacted the trailing section; both sections travelled backwards an additional 106 feet. At approximately 0330, MMA officials secured the locomotive consist on the grade by re-tightening the hand brakes.
The hydrocarbon recovery and cleanup operation began as soon as the fire was extinguished and the site was stabilized, approximately 2 days after the derailment. The assessment and remediation of the environment were performed using a combination of monitoring wells and exploratory trenches serviced by vacuum trucks under the guidance of a specialized engineering firm.
The Sherbrooke and Moosehead Subdivisions were owned and operated by MMA. These subdivisions were previously owned by Quebec Southern Railway (QSR) and, prior to that, by Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).
Between Nantes and Megantic (Mile 7.40 to the lowest point near Mile 0.00), the average descending grade was 0.94%, and the steepest grade over the length of the train was 1.32% at Mile 1.03 (Figure 2). The elevation dropped approximately 360 feet between Nantes and Megantic. For the last 2 miles before the point of derailment, the track descended at a grade of approximately 1.30%. The maximum horizontal curvature of the track was 4.25, which was at the derailment location (Engineering Laboratory Report LP167/2013).
Cautionary limitsFootnote 6 were in effect between Mile 0.82 and Mile 0.00, due to the presence of the yard at Megantic. Movements were to be made in accordance with CROR 94 and 105(c).Footnote 7 There was a permanent speed restriction of 10 mph over Frontenac Street (Mile 0.28) until the crossing was fully occupied.
The Moosehead Subdivision was a single main track that extended east from Megantic (Mile 117.14) to Brownville Junction (Mile 0.00), where it connected with the Millinocket Subdivision. The track was classified as Class 3 according to the TSR. Movements departing Megantic and heading eastward on this subdivision encountered an ascending grade of approximately 1%. Further east at Vachon (Mile 114.10), Quebec, the closest siding to Lac-Mgantic, there was a 6470-foot passing track.
MMA had 2 RTCs on duty at all times (1 in Bangor and the other in Farnham), with duty periods of 12 hours, starting at 0600 and 1800. The Farnham RTC controlled movements west of Megantic, and the Bangor RTC controlled movements east of Megantic. The Farnham RTC on duty at the time of the accident was a qualified LE with previous experience securing trains at Nantes.
On 05 July 2013, the LE awoke at approximately 0530 and reported for duty at 1330 for MMA-002. When the LE was at home in Farnham, he normally slept about 8 hours per night. When the LE laid over, he usually slept between 5 and 6 hours per night.
The tank cars originated in New Town, North Dakota, where they were picked up by CPR. At origin, the train consisted of 1 box car (the buffer) and 78 tank cars loaded with petroleum crude oil (UN 1267), a Class 3 flammable liquid.On 30 June 2013, when the train was in Harvey, North Dakota, 1 tank car was removed for a mechanical defect after the train received a safety inspection and a Class I air brake test.Footnote 8 This air brake test verifies the integrity and continuity of the brake pipe, as well as the brake rigging, the application, and the release of air brakes on each car.
The petroleum crude oil had been purchased by Irving Oil Commercial G.P. from World Fuel Services, Inc. (WFSI). The shipping documents indicated that the shipper was Western Petroleum Company (a subsidiary of WFSI) and the consignee was Irving Oil Ltd. (Irving).
The cars operated through Minneapolis, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and Detroit, Michigan, and arrived in Canada through Windsor, Ontario. The cars travelled to Toronto, Ontario, and underwent a No. 1 air brake test by a certified car inspector on 04 July 2013. The cars departed Toronto as part of a mixed freight train, consisting of 2 locomotives and 120 cars, destined for Montral. When the train arrived in Montral, it underwent a routine safety and mechanical inspection in Saint-Luc Yard on 05 July 2013. Mechanical defects were identified on 5 tank cars, which were removed from the train. The remaining tank cars were then interchanged to MMA.
On the morning of 05 July 2013, the cars were taken to Farnham, where they received a brake continuity test and a mechanical inspection by Transport Canada (TC). Minor defects were noted on 2 cars, and these were corrected. Departing Farnham, the train was approximately 4700 feet long, weighed about 10 290 tons (Appendix B) and consisted of the following (Photo 2):
Railway lines at Nantes are located in a rural area where the main track and a siding run parallel and immediately adjacent to public highway 161. The average descending grade on the main track where the train was parked is 0.92%.Footnote 9 During site examination, a black oily residue was found on the surrounding vegetation and on the rails where the lead locomotive was parked (Photo 3).
The east siding switch was located at Mile 6.67, and the siding was 7160 feet long. At the time of the accident, several rail cars were being stored there. The siding was equipped with a special derail,Footnote 10 located approximately 230 feet west of the switch (Photo 3). A derail is a mechanical safety device that sits on top of the rail and is used to derail runaway equipment. This derail was locked in the derailing position to protect the main track from unintended movements out of the siding.
The MMA Megantic Station was located in a commercial district of Lac-Mgantic, where the Sherbrooke and Moosehead Subdivisions met. Frontenac Street, a main thoroughfare, ran through the centre of the town. The main track intersected with Frontenac Street just west of the Megantic West turnout and was maintained for a maximum speed of 15 mph. The turnout was located at Mile 0.23, with the switch points facing west (Photo 4).
The derailed equipment covered the main track, 3 adjacent yard tracks, and the west leg of the wye, which is a triangular arrangement of tracks that can be used for turning rail equipment (Photo 5).Footnote 11 At the time of the accident, there were box cars parked in yard tracks 1 and 2.
Trains are equipped with 2 air brake systems: automatic and independent. The automatic brake system applies the brakes to each car and locomotive on the train, and is normally used during train operations to slow and stop the train. Each locomotive is equipped with an independent brake system, which only applies brakes on the locomotives. Independent brakes are not normally used during train operations, but are primarily used as a parking brake.
The independent brakes are also supplied with air from the main reservoir. When an independent brake application is required, the LE moves the independent brake handle, which in turn injects up to 75 psi of air pressure directly from the main reservoir into the brake cylinders of the locomotive. This causes the brake shoes to apply to the wheels (Figure 4).
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