On 25 July 2017, a southbound Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway (QNS&L) train, consisting of 159 loaded iron ore cars and 2 locomotives, stopped in Mai to add a locomotive and to relieve the locomotive engineer. The two locomotives were uncoupled from the cars to make room for the additional locomotive. A few minutes after the locomotives were uncoupled, the cars began to roll uncontrolled and passed a signal. The relief locomotive engineer, who was working nearby, took action to stop the movement. There were no injuries and no damage.
The investigation found that, while securing the train, the locomotive engineer closed the brake pipe angle cocks (valves at each end of a rail car or a locomotive used to open or close the brake pipe) between the locomotive and the first car before the air had fully exhausted from the brake pipe. With the angle cocks closed, the air became bottled in the brake pipe, leading to an undesired release of the air brakes. When the air brakes on the cars released, the hand brakes that were applied did not keep the cars in place. Consequently, the cars rolled uncontrolled for about 400 feet past a signal before being stopped when the relief locomotive engineer fully opened the angle cock.
The locomotive engineer was not used to following the procedures that consisted of leaving cars with only their service brakes applied during switching operations. He and other company employees often used the emergency brakes, which was contrary to company procedures. If railway companies do not ensure that employees are completely familiar with operating procedures they must follow, some procedures may not be well understood or applied, increasing the risk of accidents.
Following the occurrence, QNS&L clarified its operating procedures regarding brake pipe uncoupling and the minimum number of hand brakes to be applied. Training regarding these changes was also developed and delivered to all QNS&L locomotive engineers.
Sounds like another failure of Canadian rules and one man operations. Can someone send them a set of FRA regulations? How was it okay to park a train with the brakes RELEASED as was done in the La Megantic wreck? How are you allowed to bottle the air with just a service brake application? These are fundamentals of railroading, yet nobody questions these practices? Per the FRA, you must dynamite the cars when you cut away and leave the angle cock fully open for exactly these reasons.
C.N.. Rail rules required that before cut lever was operated that;
1 A full service brake application be made.
2 After brake is fully applied and air no longer exhausts from brake valve.
3 Then both angle cocks are closed.
4 Hoses are then separated by hand.
5 Angle cock on cars to be left standing is then to be opened fully.
Needless to say when this ritual was followed there were no equipment runaways.
Needless also to say during my 44 years as a conductor I usually followed the U.S. method namely close the angle cock behind the head end batch, operate cut lever, let the rest go into emergency. To all operating crews
please never bottle the air.