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Bad freight train accident today 27 cars derailed. In the link is a must see video.

http://www.suntimes.com/13588103-418...n-suburbs.html

Freight train derails and bridge collapses in northern suburbs

BY JAMES SCALZITTI AND KATE SCHOTT Sun-Times Media July 4, 2012

Updated: July 4, 2012 5:48PM

...

http://www.suntimes.com/csp/cms/site...YPE=image/jpeg
The train derailment at Willow and Shermer Road in Northbrook, Illinois happened on the Fourth of July with temperatures over 100 degrees. | Al Podgorski~Chicago Sun-Times

http://www.suntimes.com/csp/cms/site...YPE=image/jpeg
Northbrook and Glenview fire departments pack up the hoses at the site of the train derailment at Shermer Road just south of Willow Road on July 4. | Curtis Lehmkuhl~Sun-Times Media

^ Holy cr@p - I read the initial report and figured it was a routine derailment. This looks like it might have started as a bridge collapse/weakening (maybe triggered by the train), which would turn any laden coal train into a big pile of mangled carbon.

Gotta be heat related, given the timing, no?

The WGN report says it could take a month to restore, because of the viaduct. Opportunity for Obama Administration to talk about infrastructure investment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by denizen467 (Post 5756414)

The WGN report says it could take a month to restore, because of the viaduct. Opportunity for Obama Administration to talk about infrastructure investment.

That's what I thought, too, but the article states that the bridge was just repaired last summer.

I wonder what happened here? It's an awful sight.

Sloppy reporting... This is not the first major derailment to occur at this site. The first one, in 2009, prompted UP to replace the old viaduct with a shitty temporary one. It looked like the same kind of temporary supports holding up some of the UP-North tracks, except that the UP-North only carries featherweight passenger cars and not massive loads of coal.

If I were Glenview, I'd file suit. This is unacceptable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Uptempo (Post 5744951)

BY TINA SFONDELES Transportation Reporter tsfondeles@suntimes.com June 23, 2012 11:32PM

Terrible, cramped and decrepit.

That’s how CTA President Forrest Claypool describes the 95th Street Red Line station, one of the agency’s busiest terminals.

But under an ambitious $240 million plan to upgrade and expand the station, it will morph into a bright, airy and clean space, double in size with a sound barrier to block noise from the adjacent Dan Ryan Expy.

http://i.imgur.com/qlUV3.jpg
PHOTO CREDIT:Sun-Times

The glass-enclosed terminal will be spacious and filled with light, resembling O’Hare Airport, and its larger platforms will be able to hold more L passengers, according to conceptual designs from the CTA.

And it will have space for retail stores so riders can pick up a newspaper and a coffee for a ride into the city.

http://i.imgur.com/lPkdz.jpg
PHOTO CREDIT: Sun-Times

It’s not a pipe dream. This work is happening, the agency said, as soon as spring 2014.

More found on the Chicago Sun-Times website.

Personal Note - Funny how $140 million became $240 million all of a sudden. Leads me to believe, as others have noted, that the Red Line Extension may be a little longer in coming than originally planned.

I'm all for transit investments, but $240 million for a single station rehab and expansion sounds astronomically high. I can't think of a single station renovation that comes even close to in cost.

Philly recently rehabbed two of its busiest subway stations for a combined total of $30 million.
http://www.septa.org/media/short/2012/06-28.html

Boston is planning a complete renovation of a downtown underground station serving two lines (with similar ridership of this CTA Station) for $72 million.
http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/n...nth=10&year=10

Heck, Norfolk and Salt Lake City recently completed entire light rail lines which cost in the 300 millions.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...ay.html?pg=all

New York has budgeted $455 million to renovate "dozens of stations"
http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stori...ubway-stations

I'm sure it will be a beautiful station when it's complete, but it doesn't seem like you're getting a giant bang for your buck.

Body found in car under wreckage of train derailment, bridge collapse

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnk (Post 5756402)

It appears as if the worst fears have been realized...

From the Sun-Times website--

Quote:

BY KATE SCHOTT AND TODD SHIELDS
Sun-Times Media July 5, 2012 11:52AM

Authorities have found a body inside a car buried in the wreckage caused by a train derailment and bridge collapse Wednesday afternoon in Northbrook.

Glenview Fire Chief Wayne Globerger said the vehicle was traveling south on Shermer and was underneath the bridge when it collapsed. One body has been recovered and the vehicle has been dug out. A gender of the person found has not been released.

“The medical examiner is on the scene,” Globerger said Thursday. “There is always a possibility of more victims. We are talking about tons and tons of debris here.”

Railroad officials said the train derailed before the viaduct collapsed. Authorities initially said they didn’t believe any vehicles or people were underneath the bridge when it collapsed.

“The engineers and car crew said the bridge was intact when the train went over. It all seemed fine to them,” Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said Wednesday evening near the intersection of Shermer and Willow roads.

The freight train of three locomotives and 138 cars, all loaded with coal, was on its way from Wyoming to a utility in Wisconsin when four cars derailed about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Davis said. The exact cause of the derailment was not immediately known. Additionally, “some dry vegetation” near the scene of the derailment reportedly caught fire, Davis said.

More available at the link.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Uptempo (Post 5757160)

It appears as if the worst fears have been realized...

From the Sun-Times website--

More available at the link.

They found another body. I do not know why your article states four cars derailed. It is clear from the video the number is more like the previously reported 27 cars. The updated article says 28 cars.

Quote:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/1360417...-collapse.html

Two bodies found under wreckage of train derailment, bridge collapse

BY KATE SCHOTT, TODD SHIELDS AND TINA SFONDELES Sun-Times Media July 5, 2012 11:52AM

Updated: July 5, 2012 7:26PM

The morning started with a daunting task for cleanup crews -- clear away the mass of train cars, coal, steel and concrete that had rained down onto Shermer Road in Northbrook after a derailment and bridge collapse the afternoon before.

Officials already knew the accident would have long-lasting aftereffects: A new bridge would have to be built, and it could take months, causing headaches for motorists and the railroad alike.

But about 10 a.m. Thursday the cleanup crews’ work took a dark turn. Their efforts to clear the debris revealed a car that had been buried beneath the rubble.

Within a few hours authorities would learn that the mishap they thought had miraculously spared lives actually had claimed two.

...

Deputy Glenview Village Manager Don Owen said officials do not believe anyone else is underneath the wreckage. The area where the original wreckage fell in the bridge collapse had been cleared and they stopped looking for victims Thursday evening, Owen said.

Railroad officials said the train derailed before the viaduct collapsed.

“The engineers and car crew said the bridge was intact when the train went over. It all seemed fine to them,” Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said.

Spokesman Thomas Lange said bridge was designed to carry a certain number of coal cars weighing 75 tons to 85 tons each over the 86-foot expanse of the bridge, but it could not handle a pileup of 28, which was many times the number it was expected to hold, Lange said.

The intense heat Wednesday could have made the steel rails expand, causing the derailment and then the bridge to collapse, Lange said.

The investigation into what happened will take months,

...

These inspections are done twice a day as a matter of routine during both extremely hot and cold temperatures, he added.

“The speed was lowered from 50 miles per hour to 40 miles per hours because of the heat, but the train was not even going that fast. A recorder registered it at 37 miles per hour when it derailed,” Lange said.

Ian Savage, transportation economist and railroad safety expert at Northwestern University, said the bridge would in no way be able to support the number of train cars that piled up on it after the derailment.

“If you have a bridge which is about 40 feet long ... there is a maximum load which you can have on top of the bridge, which is 40 feet worth of heavy train cars,” Savage said. “But you can’t have all these cars piled on top of each other on top of the bridge. Instead of having 40 feet worth of it you have 30 cars all lined up on top of each other, which far exceeds the limits for the bridge and the design specs of the bridge.”

...

“We’ll look at all the factors, including the heat’s impact on the bridge’s structure,” he said. Wednesday’s high temperature was 102 degrees.

...

He called the collapse of a railroad bridge like Wednesday’s, “rare, very rare indeed.”

Once the debris is cleared, Union Pacific will use stone fill to close the gap the bridge left when it collapsed and will install temporary tracks there so trains will get through the area, Lange said

But the new bridge will have to be designed, then built, which will take some time, he said.

The railroad overpass just underwent repairs last year. Work started June 27, 2011, and officials initially expected it to be closed for two months.

At that time, Jerry Burke, the director of the Glenview Public Works Department, described the work as general maintenance. Crews were installing new braces and repainting the sides of the viaduct, he said then.

In September 2011, officials announced the project was taking longer than expected. The bridge structure required more extensive repairs than originally anticipated, a Union Pacific spokesman said in September. The road reopened the first week of October.

David Valentine, of Northbrook, said he saw the accident happen...

More in link

Thanks. Just read the CTA release on the 5000s. WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY BEING INTRODUCED FIRST ON THE PINK AND GREEN LINE!!?? Fucking DUMB. Makes no sense... the Red and Blue lines have what, four times the ridership!? God, the CTA really annoys the shit out of me.

EDIT: Mr. Downtown's post below raises a point that I had previously not considered.

Because you put the new technology where it will inconvenience the fewest people if there are problems. You first put it where you have fewer operators and mechanics to train in the new technology. You put the incompatible cars on lines that have modest equipment requirements, so hostlers don't spend the wee hours moving all the cars around at Howard or Rosemont. Have you never heard of the concept of the orderly rollout? You don't just throw open the new hotel the day the national convention starts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Servo (Post 5757483)

If anything, I would've figured that the CTA would want to tout their new cars on more heavily traversed lines/lines that serve the most out-of-towners (a la Blue Line to O'Hare or the Orange Line to Midway). Although I would agree with Mr. D that a more orderly rollout is probably the best strategy.

A friend of mine got the chance to ride on one of the new 5000 series cars on the Green Line; she said it already smelled like piss and shit.

The upside is that she found them to be more roomy and comfortable. Just hold your nose... ;)

Well, there's no practical reason why CTA can't reorganize the seats on some 2600s if the Blue and Red Line really need more capacity right now. I seem to remember they did something similar to the Brown Line during 3-tracking before 8-car operation began.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown (Post 5757504)

Actually I never thought of this. Makes sense. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kippis (Post 5757506)

CTA will get blamed for "not keeping them clean" - instead of THE PEOPLE THAT MADE THE MESS.

btw: Is this the same Green Line the 2013 Red Line Shuttles will be feeding into at Garfield?

Just got back from vacation, one day I will load pics from Michigan and start a photo thread but until then, here are some more of UP North bridge work. I have nothing exciting but here are four more pics:
Looking North at Ravenswood station.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7...b171a662_z.jpg
Montrose Ave
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7249/7...3bf16e61_z.jpg
How those caissons get into the ground.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7...b4f5ff4a_z.jpg
Temporary supports for middle spans
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7...edaac438_z.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnk (Post 5757457)

Gosh! This is very bad accident. It's terrible! Who is their fault? Is that train or the cars. Is he dead or alive? I am not quite sure. I wasn't sure if the train did not stop or slowing it down. They have be careful out there. I wasn't sure if the trains will shutdown until the further notice.

Apparently theirs a switch right before the bridge and the heat could have played a role in this....although the Rail Community is pointing the finger a UP which has a bad record when it comes to accidents and derailments there right up there with CSX and CN...

The Sun-Times may have redeemed itself from its "four cars" reporting with this interesting piece last night:

When it comes to rail-bridge safety, railroads mostly police themselves
BY TINA SFONDELES Transportation Reporter
July 6, 2012 6:38PM

...

Railroads don’t have to routinely provide the [Federal Railroad Administration] with the results of inspections they conduct on their own bridges.

Why not? The Federal Railroad Administration on its website says it would be "counterproductive" to require railroads to do so.

Federal officials said the rationale is that it’s in the best interest of railroads to maintain their bridges well, considering the cost of potential accidents, the cost of replacing a bridge and the loss of service of the track over the bridge.

...

“I think the rationale has been the railroad companies have a lot to lose if they screw up,” [Amtrak spokesman Marc] Magliari said. “They have more staff out there for maintenance and inspection and to also combine that with federal inspectors or state inspectors would be duplication.”

Federal law requires railroads to inspect their bridges twice a year. The bridge near Willow and Shermer roads that collapsed Wednesday was reinforced in 2011 and last inspected on April 6, a Union Pacific spokesman said. No defects were found, he said.

The regulations date back to the 1970 Federal Railroad Safety Act, which changed the way railroads operated. For more than a century, the industry self-regulated many of its safety practices. In the 1960s, companies dealt with declining safety standards and were in poor financial condition.

But the 1970 law created regulations for many aspects of railroad safety, and for the first time gave the railroad administration the authority to inspect rail bridges after an accident, as the agency is doing now with last week’s disaster scene on Shermer Road.

...

But something is missing: “The issue of structures [such as rail bridges] was not of concern in the 1960s and hence there wasn’t any part made into law regarding structures,” ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 5756778)

If I were Glenview, I'd file suit. This is unacceptable.

Looks like a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the victims.

I hope they take UP to the cleaners.

Any law experts who can handicap the suit for us?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 5759308)

Looks like a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the victims.

I hope they take UP to the cleaners.

Any law experts who can handicap the suit for us?

UP , FRA , CSX , CN take them all to the cleaners , another reason why we should disband the FRA...utterly useless and burdensome agency..

^There's not even a hint yet of what caused the derailment or collapse, but you've already decided on a long list of folks (including railroads that don't run within 20 miles of the site) to be punished for it?

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