WASHINGTON — A CPKC freight train was traveling about 45 mph when 29 cars derailed on July 5 near Bordulac, N.D., leading to a fire involving methanol and anhydrous ammonia, the National Transportation Safety Board said in the preliminary investigation report released today (Thursday, Aug. 1).
The fire burned for two days, leading to a voluntary evacuation of two nearby homes [see “Fire mostly out at CPKC derailment …,” Trains News Wire, July 7, 2024]. CPKC has estimated damage from the incident at about $3.6 million.
The train was a designated key train because of the hazardous materials on board, and therefore was limited to a top speed of 50 mph.
The train involved, eastbound No. 242-03, had one head-end locomotive, 126 loaded railcars, 25 empty railcars, and a rear distributed-power unit. The derailment occurred about 3:36 a.m. The derailed cars included 12 covered hoppers of plastic pellets and 17 tank cars, six of which carried methanol and 11 of anhydrous ammonia. Those cars are believed to include DOT-111, DOT-112, and DOT-117 cars; NTSB investigators have yet to fully confirm car types. Activity in the ongoing investigation will focus on detailed assessment of damage to the tank cars; review of maintenance and inspection records; infrastructure examinations; and further examination of onboard image recordings and post accident drone videos from the site.
The NTSB has already reviewed outward-facing image recorders from train 242-03, as well as two earlier trains through the accident site, and from a manned CPKC track geometry car that passed through about 20 hours earlier.
ROGER: If I understand correctly, the preliminary report is only intended to spell out the facts and figures. Probable cause will be part of an ongoing investigation to be included they issue the final report.
No mention of the cause. I would think that this datum should be a key fact to prevent more derailments, but apparently not. Rail, wheel, bearing, other??? I guess they feel that reams of data on the aftermath far overweighs possible future prevention.
ROGER: I meant for my post to be a reply to your comment. See my thoughts above on the preliminary report.
The accident is still under investigation. We will find out the cause soon enough although the manned CPkc geometry detector car information should be vital. If it detected nothing when it made its 20 hour earlier pass through then something to do with a specific car wheel failing, a bearing or the wheel itself, should be prominent. The only other typical cause could be excessive buff forces. At any rate, we shall see…