Subway Derailment In Harlem Leads To Service Disruptions On IRT Lex Line

[Grand Concourse]

:sigh: I wonder who's going to get stuck with the bill to repair those cars that derailed?

[6 Lexington Ave]

:sigh: I wonder who's going to get stuck with the bill to repair those cars that derailed?

 

Do they even need repairing?

[4P3607]

So that explains why I saw an R142 leaving 59 St on the Express track yesterday. I just saw the end of an R142 dip into the tunnel, and the sign did say .

[Joe]

How does that happen while a train is going over a section of rail? From what I can tell, it looks like the wheels are shaped so that they sort of wrap around the upper part of the rails as they move over it, which I would think would help prevent the rails from spreading as the cars travel over it.

 

On a wheelset, the wheels are conically shaped with a flange along the inner edge of both wheels; this keeps the wheelset from sliding off the rails to either side. However, if the gauge (the inner distance between the rails) spreads, the wheels can simply "fall in". I've seen it happen a few times.

[stingray11214]

:sigh: I wonder who's going to get stuck with the bill to repair those cars that derailed?

That sucker is going to get charged to Track. That Foreman is going to be pushing a broom very soon. No way in hell he stays a Foreman after this.

[QM1to6Ave]

This is what was told to me not long after the derailment happened so the info might not be accurate: The section of track this derailment took place on was being worked on. Track dept. was replacing tie plates (hardware under the rail that holds the rail to the tie). For what ever reason they had replaced the plates but they did not secure them and the rail rolled over as the train passed over that section. When all was said and done, 2 cars were on the ground.

 

Ahh, well that explains how the rail could still manage to slip out from the wheels and spread. Wow. Grade A idiocy. Hope the T/O does not get in trouble for this one.

[SubwayGuy]

How does that happen while a train is going over a section of rail? From what I can tell, it looks like the wheels are shaped so that they sort of wrap around the upper part of the rails as they move over it, which I would think would help prevent the rails from spreading as the cars travel over it.

 

If the rail is not secured to a fixed point at a location...it can move in any direction at any time..especially with the force of a train applied to it. As the train moves, the flanges do put pressure on the rails from the sides since the train's movement is rarely ever perfectly straight and the flanges "push" on the inside of the rail (or a guard rail) to keep the wheels on the rail.

[QM1to6Ave]

If the rail is not secured to a fixed point at a location...it can move in any direction at any time..especially with the force of a train applied to it. As the train moves, the flanges do put pressure on the rails from the sides since the train's movement is rarely ever perfectly straight and the flanges "push" on the inside of the rail (or a guard rail) to keep the wheels on the rail.

 

It makes sense that the force is spread out in multiple directions; I had not considered that the rails would be just sitting there unsecured to anything. That's just asking for a serious accident to happen. I can imagine that situation ending up a lot worse than it actually did in this case

[6 Lexington Ave]

So, does anyone know what is the current status of the cars involved? Are they in service?

[LRG]

There is nothing crazy about the on 7th Av. (5)s pop up on 7th Av all the time. Its just the luxary the has to avoid lex when there is trouble.

 

Same thing with seeing the on Lexington Avenue.

[R68 Subway Car]

I'm guessing this is similar to the 135 Street Accident in 1997 where that R44 was destroyed.

[6 Lexington Ave]

I'm guessing this is similar to the 135 Street Accident in 1997 where that R44 was destroyed.

 

Is there anyone who actually knows if the cars were destroyed? It didn't sound like that much of a major derailment for the cars to be destroyed. We can all guess, but does anyone know, either directly or indirectly? The accident you're talking about sounds totally different as described in http://www.nycsubway.org/faq/accidents.html

[INDman]

I'm guessing this is similar to the 135 Street Accident in 1997 where that R44 was destroyed.

 

No, not even close. That incident involved a switch moving under a train and a car getting cut in half.

[Joe]

No, not even close. That incident involved a switch moving under a train and a car getting cut in half.

 

Was that the incident with the switch machine?

[INDman]

Was that the incident with the switch machine?

 

Yep, signal maintainers were working on a switch and the one they test operated was the one NEXT TO the switch they were working on.

[Joe]

That'll do it. A former Signal Maintainer told me about that one. Talk about a real **** up.

[4P3607]

How does that happen while a train is going over a section of rail? From what I can tell, it looks like the wheels are shaped so that they sort of wrap around the upper part of the rails as they move over it, which I would think would help prevent the rails from spreading as the cars travel over it.

 

Heres a diagram (click on the image to zoom in):