Canadian Railroads > Breaking News, CN derails potash

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/train-carrying-potash-derails-near-hope-bc-cn-rail-reports/ar-BB191M8I?li=AAggNb9&ocid=iehp

Some photos with these reports.  Look like train was going at a good clip when it derailed.  Big mess.
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/20-train-cars-derail-near-hope-b-c-cn-rail-1.5103850
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cn-rail-derailment-1.5723212

Track speed is in the 50 to 60mph range there, so definitely a mess. I've heard varying reports as to the fate of the bridge there, at any rate potash into the Fraser River is going to be costly.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

No injuries reported, that's good

Is this the place? The bridge near Hunter Creek?
Google map
 

BoeJoe that's the spot as far as I can see.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

I'm pretty sure it was a CP train operating in the directional running territory,  all CP power except for one UP motor.

Wow, I know exactly where that is. I've been over the Trans-Canada Highway there a couple dozen times. There's a rest stop near there that I would always stop at to let my dogs stretch their legs. Potash in Fraser River can't be good.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/20 20:25 by trainjunkie.

https://globalnews.ca/video/7334594/drone-video-of-huge-train-derailment-near-hope-b-c
 

From another source, it was a CP Rail train on CN track with 3 CP units and a UP unit, I would imagine some of the units were DPU.. 200 loads, 28,498 tons, 9,693 feet long, 61 cars derailed. No info about the speed of the train nor the cause of the derailment.
Doug

hoggerdoug Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 200 loads, 28,498 tons, 9,693 feet long

WTF were they thinking?

I think this is what they call PSR, or "CN delivering yesterdays freight tomorrow" or in this case never delivered. I would assume National Steel Car will be getting more orders.
IMHO these monster trains are ridiculous and way beyond the point of safe operations.
Doug
trainjunkie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hoggerdoug Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 200 loads, 28,498 tons, 9,693 feet long
>
> WTF were they thinking?

trainjunkie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hoggerdoug Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 200 loads, 28,498 tons, 9,693 feet long
>
> WTF were they thinking?

How long before they just decide to run one train a day? A 10 mile long train? Why not?

Posted from Android

Long trains are a stock in trade of Canadian railroads going back to at least 2016.  Attached are some photos of long CN trains taken during my September 2016 trip to the Kamloops area as some example of the long trains CN runs in this area.

Photo #1 CN X2235E at MP37.92 Ashcroft Sub at Junpiter Beach Rd. cloudy day train #834 Axles 778 axles total less 18 axles for the three units equals 190 cars over 11,000' speed per scanner 32 mph, date of photo 9-5-16

Photo #2 CN X2717W at MP131.79 Clearwater Sub east of Kamloops train #843 loaded grain power DPU 2+2 824 axles total less 24 axles for four units equals 200 cars approximate tonnage at 143 tons, load limit for cars,  per car total tonnage for train 28,600, date of photo, 9-6-16

Photo #3  CN X2904E at MP 104.82 Clearwater Sub, Barriere, BC train #412 for some reason I did not write down the axles account for this train but I know it was over 150 cars, date of photo 9-8-16.  Just a note the westbound that came after this train was a general merchadise train of 188 cars, power DPU 2+1.

---

---

---

How long will the Hunter Creek bridge be out?  I'll bet CP could use the sidings they removed.  CN could re-route some of their traffic over the BCR. Oh, wait a minute.  They shut that down.  

Chris Rye
P.S.  There is a salmon run up Hunter Creek.

 

I saw photos on Facebook today with a pile driver on site, and prefab concrete spans at the ready. CN projects line open 0400 on the 17th, and reports from the scene say it just might happen.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

Does anyone know the current speed limit for this section of track?  Also what is the closest milepost to the accident?  

In the CN Western Canada time table 2 effective November 1, 1993 (I know it is an old timetable but how often do railroads really change speed limits over the years) the freight speed limits for this area for freights was the following:

mp 41.0 just west of Hope to mp 45.7 west of Flood at mp 44.0  45 mph speed limit
mp 45.7 to mp 52.2 1.9 miles east of Cream View at mp 54.1 50 mph speed limit

In addition I noticed that while photographing the CN along the Fraser and Thompson Rivers and west of Prince George a number of times between 2014 and 2018 that the actual train speeds rarely exceeded 40 to 45 mph.

Also CN and CP directional running is CN and CP traffic moves eastbound on the CP from Mission to Basque on the CP's Thompson Subdivision and CN and CP traffic moves westbound from Basque to Mission on the CN's Ashcroft and Yale subdivisions.

DGOLDE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know the current speed limit for this
> section of track?  Also what is the closest
> milepost to the accident?  

Incident was reported from Mile 48.1

Thanks for the MP information so most likely the speed limit where the accident happen is 50 mph.  We will just have to wait for the accident investigation to be completed to see what caused this accident.  

One last note the CN from Vacouver, BC to Halifax, NS is a very flat railroad with no grades over .5% or so.

61 cars and lading cleared, damaged bridge span removed, piles driven, new bridge spans set, line reopened approximately 73 hours following the derailment.  Not too shabby.