WOW! with all the damage in this picture I am suprised there was not any more deaths caused by this horrible tragedy.
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Man what a crash, that is one horrific pileup.
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| Posted by Cagey on May 17, 2006 | |
This train wreck, while horrific in itself, was only the beginning of the agony experienced by this neighborhood. I saw a TV show (by Discovery Channel) about this incident few years ago: from the description of the program: "Tragic accidents are mercifully rare, and rarer still are the tragedies that strike twice. In 1989, a working class California neighborhood was hit by a massive train derailment that left four people dead and seven homes destroyed. Two weeks later, beneath the same street, a gas pipeline exploded, killing three more and incinerating eighteen homes." (The gasoline pipeline rupture was caused by the train wreck and/or ensuing cleanup operations). Search for "Duffy Street 1989" for more. I believe the NTSB report on this is available too.
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This is a horriable wreck. I wonder if Sacramento repaired the 8278 or not
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| Posted by Mike on August 5, 2006 | |
The speed limit on that curve is 40 mph. According to the black box, the train reached 112 mph! The weight was improperly listed to be around 4,000 tons, when in reality the train actually weighed about 9,900 tons. The only thing that was holding the train back was the dynamic brakes, but the driver in the rear helper applied the emergency brakes after he noticed what was wrong which, as we all know, cancels out the dynamics! According to the forensic studies afterward, the heat caused by the emergency application was so intense that the brake shoes and the wheels actually began to melt. It's amazing the death toll wasn't much higher.
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| Posted by azmike on May 18, 2011 | |
22 year anniversary of this incident. Incredible story. Engineer kept his hand at the throttle all the way. Lots of determining factors.
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| Posted by on October 13, 2014 | |
I saw pictures of SP 7443 5 years after the crash.
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