Last month's train disaster in the small Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic was North America's deadliest rail accident in two decades.

On July 6, a train hauling tankers of crude oil derailed in the center of Lac-Mégantic, where it exploded, killing 47 people and decimating the downtown area. Following the accident, the Canadian government moved to shut down Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway (MMA), the company operating the runaway train, when MMA said it carried insufficient insurance coverage to pay for the cleanup costs.

The government has since decided to allow the railway operate through early October. It's clear the liability debate is far from over, and the tragic accident may carry regulatory and risk management implications. It's also clear that professionals in the claims community will need to enhance their knowledge of the rail mechanics. What causes rail failure, and when is subrogation an option? Below, we delve into the technical side of rail failures. In the forthcoming October issue of Claims Magazine, we'll explore the type of claims that stem from such a disaster and considerations for claims adjusters.

Click on “Next” at the bottom right to view mechanisms for rail failure.

Rail Failures

Private railroad turn-outs service many industrial facilities. Rail failure can occur for a variety of reasons and can cause substantial property loss, along with possible personal injuries.

Figure 1 to the left is a view of a rail failure that occurred at the lead truck (front wheels) of a diesel locomotive on a private rail siding.

The locomotive derailed, resulting in damage to the traction wheels as well as loss of usage of the turn-out while repairs were made.

Figure 2 below shows the fracture surface of the rail, characterized by an older rusted fracture and the fresh final fracture of the 150 lb/yard steel rail. It was apparent there was sufficient mechanical stress in the rail to cause in a metal fatigue related fracture.

In Figure 3A below, a railroad truck (set of wheels) is rolling on a moderate curve. Figure 3B (to the bottom right) shows a truck rolling on a curve of lesser radius, which causes increased stress in the rails (red arrow) as a result of the truck trying to straighten the curve. Many railroads have minimum radius specifications for private rail facilities.

For instance, Reference 1 requires a minimum radius of 574 feet for acceptable operation in private railroad yards. This tends to minimize the mechanical stress in the track, reducing track maintenance and track failure.

For the failure shown in Figures 1 and 2, the radius of the track was significantly less than recommended, suggesting a design defect is the probable cause of failure. Other evidence of a low radius curve is the existence of several wheel burns on the track.

A locomotive starting to move a train may encounter traction wheel slippage, which causes a characteristic scuffing mark on the track called a rail burn, as shown above. Rail burn sites may be a future origin of a rail fracture. The diagram below shows the mechanics of a rail burn. Short radius curves increase the rolling resistance of rail cars, making it harder to move.

This case study serves to illustrate that a deficient design of a private sidetrack can cause a significant property loss.

Photo source: Standard specification for the design and construction of private sidetracks, CSX Transportation, Office of the Vice-President – Engineering, Jacksonville, Florida

Special Reports /

Slideshow: Technical Analysis of A Train Derailment

Related Stories

Recommended For You