A short length of track, is located in a dark pine and birch forest in Quebec, is often all night standing throughout the north American freight train traction oil and other raw materials.
Usually, in the evening before retiring, the train operator set hand brake, and leave an air brake system of train running power, helps to maintain smooth orbit train in place. In the morning, started the train operator or relief engineers, and continue their way.
Last weekend, the system failure. Locomotive, fire, so the firefighters shut off the engine, in order to stop the fire spreading. Slowly out of the air brake, crude oil, with 72 driverless train rolls down the hill to the beautiful scenery of the lake in the town is located in the Lac - Megantic, derailment, explosion and LianJi town center.
There are at least 13 people were killed and about 37 people are still unaccounted for, according to a Canadian police. A few residents expect lack any be found alive.
The disaster may force policymakers to reconsider across North America through the practice of railway transport of crude oil - a century of business growing surge of shale oil output.
According to a Reuters witness, fire service training, Montreal, Maine Atlantic railroad (MMA), a story, a train stopped at a slope on the brake release, lead to tragedy.
Account is frame of the key problems, investigators will be required in the next few days, a few weeks. Especially, whether to have clear communication between the firemen and train operators, whether the authority of the people see mountain rally before the train started rolling down and hit the town.
According to MMA chairman Ed Burkhardt, train the operator is a veteran Canadian engineer train in nantes of small towns in wall plate, a short rail train to stand overnight. Wall is about seven miles from Lac - Megantic.
On Friday, he night time appointed in a fixed set of train air brake and handbrake, according to the MMA. Burkhardt engineer said, all five a motorcycle in front of the train, a certain number of cars, and brake the brake in line with company policy. Four train engine is turned off, but is left in front of the locomotive braking power. Burkhardt engineers on condition of anonymity, and retirement of Lac - Megantic to hotel.
Soon after, things began to go wrong. Nantes fire chief Patrick lambert, said fire department received a phone call, the fire at about 11:30, he says, fire is likely to be a broken fuel or oil caused by one of the locomotive.
Firefighters arrived at the scene within seven minutes.
"This is a good medium and fire, but it is included in the motor train," lambert told Reuters. "12 12 points, when the fire was completely out of it."
They put out the fire and 12 volunteer firefighters also turn off the engine, in accord with their agreement, to prevent fuel cycle of the flame.
Story is one of the many unknown exactly what happened next.
Lambert, said fire department contact rail regional office in Farnham, Quebec, and scheduling. "We told them that we do, how we do," lambert said. "At the time the brakes didn't discuss. We train fire there. As for the inspection after the train, in fact, that's them."
It doesn't know what call the dispatcher. Booker, hart said he did not know, if you were told that the engine is shut down, or received a phone call after scheduling scheduling. The company is still investigating the incident, is the Canadian authorities.
Richard nuba, Quebec, a police spokesman said: "this is within the scope of our investigation,".
Booker, hart said the fire department had tried to contact your local engineer who also know how to make sure the train. Hand brake alone not enough to keep the train air brake pressure after leaking out, he said.
Booker hart said: "if they actually talked engineers, he already know immediately what to do, I don't know what it is, they said the schedule, when accepting a reporter to interview in his office, decorated with train models, posters and other rail souvenirs at Chicago's o 'hare international airport near one of the seven storeys high building.
downhill
Soon the firemen left nantes siding, witnesses saw the train - four 5 of a mile long report - began to roll down the hills.
"About five minutes later, firefighters left, I felt the vibration movement of the train track, no light, and then, I saw the train move, said:" Andrea course, 38, a trailer and anywhere near the power cabin is the only building railway siding.
"I feel very strange, its light is not on, thought it was panel issue, it was not long after, I heard the explosion. Lac - Megantic of fire, I can see the light."
Booker, hart said picked up the train speed, could be "far" 10 miles per hour over the speed limit (16 kilometers) per hour, because it is up to the very center is located in the Lac - Megantic curve in orbit around 1:15 in the morning on Saturday, jumped off the tracks.
Locomotive, he says, separated from the buffer car - a heavy train car with a stone or stones or sand - tank car, this is a type of free flow, from North Dakota bakken oil shipments.
LAC - Megantic residents reported hearing a series of five to six explosions. Spread oil on fire, storm sewers and dark blue lake, the town is named after, sprinkle.
Burkhardt said: "this is a big cheat. If you have a pile of cars, you will have many sparks,". "The whole train is compressed to a few hundred feet of some scenic spots and cars stacked three high" in some places.
"Burkhardt, slender, grizzled veteran of railway industry, is also the railway company, a privately held railway management and investment company, the parent of MMA President, said:" this is terrible, this is absolutely terrible.
Last week from aerial images show blackened tank car concertinaed pop music cafe



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