Western Railroad Discussion > Automatic breaking failure?

TV news is telling about two German passenger trains colliding head on at speed killing many people saying "automatic braking system failure". 

I don't know if they have a form of PTC or if it was some other type of device that failed.   But, it brings up the point that even tho something should be impossible, it will still happen anyway.

According to what I have read it is their form of PTC.

​It is a given that other than what Amtrak has and has had on the NEC, PTC is not ready for prime time here.

It is really amazing that something like this can happen in this day and age...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35530538

I found a pretty thourough article on the crash.  Yes, sure enough, this line HAS PTC installed.  The wreck happened on a curve, so the engineers did not see eachother until just before the crash.  PTC is a multibillion dollar boondoggle that as I have said before, WILL hurt the future of American railoads.  The expense is astronomical, robbing our mostly single tracked and inadequate rail system of the important capital needed for expansion.  Meanwhile, trucks are not required to have an automatic "Positive Truck Control" system (yes, its an absurd concept).  This places railroads at a major disadvantage as trucks are faster and run on heavily subsidized highway infrastructure.  The PTC mandate has already resulted in line closures and will result in many more as the deadline and public sentiment demands it.  If they want PTC, they can have it........on a skeleton railroad that serves even fewer locations than it does now. 

PTC is an idea that my prove useful, but one thing we all must remember MACHINES BREAK!!!

AND, computers DO SCREW UP.

German PzB90(Indusi) is a bit better system than the US ATS system, but it is still an intermittent system. It would not meet the US PTC requirements. It will be interesting to see what the Black Boxes reveal.

HogheadMike Wrote:
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> http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35530538
>

> capital needed for expansion.  Meanwhile, trucks
> are not required to have an automatic "Positive
> Truck Control" system (yes, its an absurd
> concept). 

That idea isn't so absurd.  There are plenty of new cars on the road with collision avoidance braking, blind spot radar, adaptive cruise control, and the like.  Those technologies will be in trucks in a year or two if truck owners and insurance companies want it, or if the Feds mandate it.  As of now these technologies won't prevent every accident, but they will avoid some and lesson the severity of others.

radar Wrote:
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> HogheadMike Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35530538
> >
>
> > capital needed for expansion.  Meanwhile,
> trucks
> > are not required to have an automatic "Positive
> > Truck Control" system (yes, its an absurd
> > concept). 
>
> That idea isn't so absurd.  There are plenty of
> new cars on the road with collision avoidance
> braking, blind spot radar, adaptive cruise
> control, and the like.  Those technologies will
> be in trucks in a year or two if truck owners and
> insurance companies want it, or if the Feds
> mandate it.  As of now these technologies won't
> prevent every accident, but they will avoid some
> and lesson the severity of others.

Anti-skid braking on trailers has been a feature of many fleet trailers, too.

Posted from Android

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> It is really amazing that something like this can
> happen in this day and age...

And break and brake

Posted from Android

SP4360 Wrote:
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> MojaveBill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It is really amazing that something like this
> can
> > happen in this day and age...
>
> And break and brake

Drat those homonyms!

ATSF5964 Wrote:
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> SP4360 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > MojaveBill Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > It is really amazing that something like this
> > can
> > > happen in this day and age...
> >
> > And break and brake
>
> Drat those homonyms!

You can also fix the subject line!