The Cowan train accident occurred at 7:20 am on May 6, 1990 when the special steam passenger train 3801 returned from the Morpeth Jazz Festival was hit behind by the following intercity CityRail passenger service. The steam train stalled as it tried to climb the steep slopes of the Hawkesbury River to Cowan, New South Wales, and it was found that the sand applied to the rails to regain traction had disrupted the signal and gave the train the following false indications..
Video Cowan rail accident
Overview
The accident took place about 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) south of Brooklyn, New South Wales, near the Boronia no. 3. The railway at this point, known as Cowan Bank, is 2.5% (1 in 40) class and, due to the specific drawn by the steam locomotive 3801 passes south through tunnel No. 3, locomotive wheels start slipping. Driver 3801 applied sand to the rails to increase traction, but the train stopped completely about 50 meters from the tunnel. Passengers on steam trains are reported to see signal fluctuations between green and yellow. The following CityRail V arranges an inter-city train, which has been stopped at the northern entrance of the Boronia no. 4 for 10 minutes with a red stop signal, received a green indication and continued, collided with the steam train shortly thereafter.
The impact killed an inter-city driver, Gordon Hill, and a passenger riding in an inter-city cabin, as well as four passengers in the carriage behind the 3801 train. The dead passengers included the recently retired University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor John Manning Ward, his wife and daughter , and the wife of the University Clerk. 99 passengers were injured, 11 of them serious. The collision force completely destroys the last train of the steam train, and enough to break the locomotive clutch and push the engine as far as 12 meters forward.
The subsequent coronal investigation, chaired by NSW State Coroner Derrick Hand, was discovered in December 1990 that the sand that had been applied to the trajectory at 3801 to aid traction had isolated the train from the rails, meaning that the track circuit failed to detect its existence. of the first train, allowing the following intercity trains to be given a false (obvious) green aspect (known as the wrong side failure). Mr Hand also considers that the possibility of passenger 3801 has applied the hand brake on the third carriage, and that this, combined with heavy loads, steep levels and curvature lines, has prevented the steam train from resuming. No errors were found with the signal system, although the coroner recommended that it be upgraded as soon as possible.
Maps Cowan rail accident
Contributing factors
Contributing factors include:
- an AC track circuit, which is less sensitive in detecting rail vehicles.
- The sand on the rails isolates the train wheel and prevents track circuits from detecting it - the train effectively becomes invisible to the signal system.
- The signaling system is a two-aspect color light - the three color aspect of light may have given the train driver the following with more warnings.
- There is no sand eraser system installed in 3801.
- There is no mechanism (at the time) for train-to-train or train-to-signal communication (communication with the signal box is only possible by the phone on the track side).
- It is believed that handbrake on one of the carriages may have been used as an action.
Consequences
- The temporary ban is placed on the use of steam locomotives on the NSW rail system. The ban was lifted 9 months later.
- The operator is required to use one State Rail employee on each train
- The operator is required to have an insurance of $ 10 million. The Government agrees to bear any claim that exceeds that amount.
See also
- The Glenbrook train accident
References
- "1990, May 6, Cowan railway emergency". NSW Emergency Management . Archived from the original on October 2, 2010 . Retrieved September 15 2010 .
- "RAIL SAFETY ACT 1993 NEW SOUTH WALES" . Retrieved September 15 2010 .
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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