OTTAWA — Days after Canada’s two Class 1 railroads announced they would appeal a government order requiring the use of handbrakes on trains stopped on mountains grades, one of the county’s largest unions says it’s standing by the Crown.
Last month, Transport Canada announced a new rule requiring the application of handbrakes on trains in mountainous territory following an emergency use of air brakes. The new rule came as the result of a fatal derailment on Canadian Pacific’s Kicking Horse Pass [see “Three dead in CP derailment in British Columbia,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 4, 2019]. Last week, CP and Canadian National announced that they would protest the new rule, arguing that “safer options are available.” [See “CP, CN to appeal Canadian government rule on use of handbrakes,” Trains News Wire, March 9, 2019]
But officials with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference — the labor group that represented the three railroaders killed near Field, B.C., on Feb. 4 — say the railroads are wrong and that the government’s rule should stand. The union immediately endorsed the rule when it was announced days after the wreck.
“Teamsters believe the government’s order should remain in place until we have more information. At this stage, it is impossible to make an informed decision on whether or not there are safer alternatives to handbrakes,” spokesperson Christopher Monette tells Trains News Wire. “The investigation into the Field derailment is still ongoing and there are still many unanswered questions. We urge all decision-makers to err on the side of caution until we know more.”
All Canadian railroads are required to continue following the new rule until the government has reviewed the appeal. The Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada will set a date for a hearing on the motion, according to a spokesperson for Transport Canada.
But not everyone in labor agrees with the rule. John Risch, National Legislative Director of SMART Transportation, North America’s largest rail trade union, says he’s concerned about the dangers of having crewmembers applying dozens of handbrakes in harsh conditions.
“It can be very hazardous to apply dozens of hand brakes when a train is stopped on the side of a mountain in deep snow. Then the crew must release them before proceeding in sometimes terrible weather conditions,” Risch tells Trains News Wire.
Risch says he believes the only way to prevent incidents like the one that happened in British Columbia last month is the adoption of Electronically Controlled Pneumatic brake technology.
“We urge Transport Canada and the [U.S. Federal Railroad Administration] to order the phase in of ECP brakes across North America. ECP brakes will protect train and engine service employees from these unnecessary deaths and protect the communities in which trains pass through,” Risch says.
Interesting the BHP runaway in Western Australia was ECP equipped but investigations still continuing: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2018/rair/ro-2018-018/
William…….Yes….especially in severe cold weather
William/Braden: Retainers were set to the HP position on most of the train, and that would likely have been adequate in most situations. But in bitter cold (below 0F) the many seals in the air brake system are not quite as effective and there can be a very slow seepage of air from the weaker gaskets. Over the course of two or more hours it appears enough leaked out that the retainers no longer retained enough pressure in the brake cylinders. There may be other factors involved; the eventual TSB report will be complete.
Steven: The crew change station is at the base of the grade, about 10 miles away. The problem here was that the train took longer than expected and the crew reached the mandatory maximum time on duty (12 hours). I assume that delay was unexpected, which was why they were not relieved at a more convenient location and in a more timely manner.
Al: The locomotive was not left unoccupied. The original crew stayed with the train until the new crew arrived, and in fact it was during that waiting period that the retainers were turned up to the HP position. Probably the engineer stayed in the locomotive while the conductor walked the train.
Why not just move the crew-change station to the base of the grade?
I’m confused. Why would the ability to retain pressure in the brake cylinders be affected by leakage between gaskites connecting the airline between cars? Apparently, the cylinders must leak as well. And would enough of them loose enough air to allow an entire train to run away? Comments?
Considering the ECP “phase in”.. That would take years to equip the whole fleet.. Now since the government loves to regulate industry. RR’s should have been given a choice. Either equip the entire fleet with ECP, or install PTC. Would the RR’s have taken the former over the latter? Perhaps ECP installation would’ve have been completed by now
William McDonald. Depending on position of the retainer valve. It allows the brakes to be setup while holding air in the reservoir. Thus allowing the train line to be recharged in the process without a full release. The real question would be. Who still uses retainers? I imagine a few instances they are still used, but for the most part are rarely used anymore..
4 years ago..
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2015/06/transport-canada-investigating-alleged-cp-hand-brake-safety-violations..
So Mgt. is ordering crews to not apply hand brakes.. Was this the same order given to the inbound crew from last months derailment? I would just have to lose my job. I couldn’t operate on such an order putting myself and others in danger..
What about turning up retainers? Does anyone here know what retainers do?
George is partially correct about ECP brakes, their only useful application is in unit train service. They can’t practically be applied to freight that would move in mixed traffic or boxcars…unless the railroads start running everything as unit trains, which would go against the principals of PSR. How ironic would that be, PSR being undone by simple change from air brakes to ECP brakes.
“……he’s concerned about the dangers of having crew members applying dozens of handbrakes in harsh conditions.
Jim adds: How times have changed. I recall my grandfather telling of the engineer calling for brakes by blowing the whistle. He would start from the caboose working his way forward setting brakes while the head end brakeman would work his way back. They’d usually meet halfway, on top of the cars and on a moving train.
My two questions, neither of which anyone has seemed to address, are (1) why was the locomotive left unoccupied for two hours under such circumstances, and (2) how the first crew, after “dumping” the trainline in an emergency application expected to re-charge it on the grade without some supplemental means of holding the train?
My understanding is that you can’t “phase in” ECP brakes, in that the entire train, front to back, has to be so equipped to use the technology. Maybe a unit train that stays pretty much in one piece. Also, still don’t know how many handbrake applications are ordered. Every one on the entire train? Every two? Three? Every other ten cars? I can’t do the math of weight of train, degree of grade, and power of hand-applied brakeshoes to come up with an answer to safely hold the train without air, bad weather or good weather.