Short length of the track, located in a dark pine and birch forest in Quebec, is often overnight stops throughout North America freight train hauling crude oil and other raw materials.
Under normal circumstances, the night before retirement, the train operator to set the hand brake, and leave a locomotive power of the air brake system, helps to keep the train on the track gently into place. The next morning, operators or relief engineers began the train and continue on their way.
Last weekend, the system fails. Locomotive on fire, so firefighters shut down the engine, in order to prevent the fire from spreading. Slowly out of the air brakes, oil containing 72 driverless train rolling down the hill to the scenic lakeside town located in Lac-Megantic, the derailment, explosions and leveling the town center.
At least 13 people were killed and about 37 people still missing, according to Canadian police. Minorities are expected to be found in the absence of any still alive.
The disaster may force policy makers across North America to reconsider the practice of crude oil by rail - a century-old business is booming shale oil production surged.
According to Reuters in an interview witnesses, the fire service training company in charge, Montreal, Maine Atlantic Railway (MMA), a story, a train stopped on a slope brake release, resulting in tragedy occurs.
On account of the key issues is also frames, investigators will be required in the next few days, weeks. In particular, if there is a clear firefighters and communication between train operators, whether the authority of the people to see the train started rolling down the hill in front picked up momentum and hit the town.
According to MMA chairman Ed Burkhardt, the train operator is an experienced Canadian engineers train stopped at the small town of Nantes in siding, a short track to make the overnight train station. Siding from Lac-Megantic about 7 miles.
On Friday, he was in a fixed 11:25 pm train air brakes and handbrake set, according to MMA. Burkhardt's engineers said that all five locomotives in front of the train, as well as a certain number of car brakes, brake in line with company policy. Four train engine is turned off, but was left in front of the locomotive speed brakes supply. Burkhardt's anonymity, engineers, and then retire to the hotel in Lac-Megantic.
Soon after, things started to go wrong. Nantes Fire Chief Patrick Lambert said, the fire department received a call about 11:30 pm He said the fire, the fire is likely to be a broken fuel or engine oil caused by one.
Firefighters arrived at the scene within seven minutes.
"This is a good-sized fire, but it is included in the motor of the train," Lambert told Reuters reporters. "12:12, the fire was completely out."
They extinguished the fire, 12 volunteer firefighters also turn off locomotives, in line with their agreement, in order to prevent fuel cycle flame.
One of the many unknowns in the story is precisely what happened next.
Lambert said, the fire department's regional office in the railway Farnham, Quebec, scheduling speak. "We told them that we do, how we do it," Lambert said. "There was no brakes discussion where we train fire. As for checking the train after the fact, that is their."
It is not known what the dispatcher receiving the call. Burckhardt said he did not know if was told the engine is turned off, or after the call scheduling scheduling. The company is still investigating the incident, the Canadian authorities.
Richard Benoit, Quebec Police spokesman said: "This is within the scope of our investigation,."
Burckhardt said that the fire department had tried to contact a local engineer who also knows how to ensure trains. Hand brake alone was not enough to keep the pressure of the train air brakes leaked, he said.
Burckhardt said: "If they actually talked to an engineer, he knew immediately what to do, I do not know what they actually said scheduling, in his office told reporters, covered with model trains, railroad posters and other railway memorabilia in Chicago O'Hare International Airport, near a seven-storey building.
Downhill
Soon after, firefighters leave Nantes siding, witnesses saw the train - four-fifths of a mile-long report - starts rolling down the hill.
"About five minutes later, firefighters leave, I feel the vibrational motion of the train tracks, no lights, and then I saw the train move, said:" Andre GENDRON, 38 years old, trailers and grid cabin is the only building matter anywhere near the railway siding.
"I find it very strange that it's light is not on, thought it was electrical problems on board, which is not long after, I heard an explosion. Lac-Megantic in the fire, I can see the light."
Burckhardt said, picking up the train speed, might "substantially" exceed the speed limit of 10 mph (16 km / h), as it reaches the very center is located in Lac-Megantic curve in the track on Saturday morning 1:15 or so, jumped the tracks.
He said the locomotive separated from the buffer car - a heavy train cars with stones or stone or sand - tankers, which is a type of free-flowing, from North Dakota Bakken oil laden.
LAC-Megantic residents reported hearing a series of five or six explosions. Crude oil caught fire and spread through the storm sewers and catch the deep blue lake, the town was named after a sprinkle.
Burkhardt said: "This is a huge derailment If you have a pile that car, you will have many sparks." "The whole train is compressed to a few hundred feet in some spots and cars piled three high in some places."
"Burkhardt, the slender, gray-haired veteran of the railway industry, but also the world's railway companies, a privately held investment in railway management and the parent company of MMA president, said:" This is horrible, this is absolutely terrible.
Last Monday from aerial photographs show blackened tanker concertinaed pop cafe space used, an evening meeting place, when the train roared into town was packed on.
Witnesses Bernard Theberge, 44 years old, the bar, said about 50 people on the train approached, he was outside on the terrace.
"There was a big explosion, heat to Internet cafes, and then a big wall of fire enveloped the road ...... It all happened so fast, one minute of space," he said.
"The people inside, and I think maybe two seconds, I should go, but the heat is too strong door, and said:" Theberge, who escaped a second-degree burns.
 



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