You know what? I kind of like NTSB member Earl F. Weener. I can imagine him as a railroad superintendent, appearing to be just a bit slow and using that appearance to disarm those to whom he's going to ask the difficult question; the question you, who've been called into the superintendent's office, are dreading; the question to which the superintendent already knows the answer.
The difficult question and the answer becomes an issue when something happens you didn't think was your responsibility because nobody thought it was his or her responsibiity. Turns out of course, the slow-speaking, verbally disheveled, superintendent has a mind like a steel trap. He or she has got a good memory. She or he has been through this before and reliving lapses in responsibility doesn't make him or her happy.
Member Weener asks the difficult question day 1 of NTSB's two day inquiry into managing safety on passenger railroads, regarding the December 18, 2017 overspeed derailment of Amtrak #501 at MP 19.8 on the Point Defiance Bypass around Dupont, Washington.
The derailment occurred on a curve restricted to 30 mph that was bordered by a 79 mph maximum authorized speed section of track. Amtrak #501 entered the curve at about 78 mph.
At around the 7 hour, 20 minute mark of the video presentation, member Weener asks: "Who had the responsibility to point out or determine or take a crack at the mitigation of an 80 mph to 30 mph curve?"
Nobody answered. Not Sound Transit; not Washington State DOT; not Amtrak, which had experienced an overspeed derailment at Frankford, Jct in 2015; not FRA which had issued safety advisories and emergency orders about sections requiring dramatic decelerations; not nobody.
To which silence our crusty but ever so wise superintendent/board member responds, thus raising the silence to a deafening roar, "I was afraid of that."
Despite all the consultants, signing off on this and that; despite all the documents stamped and approved; despite all the so-called risk assessments; despite all the so-called safety management plans, nobody had the responsibility for thinking ahead of the train(s).
That's not all you need to know about this accident-- you need to know the locomotive engineer was afforded 2 round trip observation runs and a single qualifying run ten days prior to actually operating for the first time over the track-- but without knowing that, you'll learn nothing about safe train operations.
Think ahead of the trains. It saves lives.
David Schanoes July 31, 2018
Have pencil; will travel
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