What happened at Lac-Mégantic?
In the early hours of July 6, 2013, a train carrying petroleum crude oil crashed into the centre of Lac Megantic, a small town in Quebec. The downtown core erupted in flames; 47 people perished, 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes. The tragedy marks one of the worst rail disasters in Canadian history.
Are locomotives electric?
Although commonly called “diesels,” the locomotives actually are electrically driven. The diesel engine drives an alternator, which produces electricity to run electric motors mounted on the locomotive’s axles.
Are locomotives still used today?
Today, there is still one steam locomotive operating on a Class I railroad in the U.S., the Union Pacific 844. For the most part, though, the U.S. and the rest of the world have converted to electric and diesel. Steam was dominant throughout China until the 1980s, supported by cheap coal and cheap labor.
Can a runaway train be stopped?
CSX Transportation workers were able to slow the runaway by latching a second engine to the end of the train. The second engine applied its brakes, reducing the runaway’s speed.
What was the technical investigation of the Lac-Mégantic disaster looking into?
The technical investigation of the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster looked into the instigating and mitigating factors regarding the incident, one of the deadliest in Canadian railway history, with 47 deaths.
Was Lac Mégantic the most devastating rail accident in Canadian history?
^ a b “Lac Mégantic ‘may well be the most devastating rail accident in Canadian history ‘ “. National Post. 2013-07-12. Retrieved 2013-07-14. ^ “MM&A regularly left loaded trains unsupervised, using siding track for storage”.
How much oil was spilled at Lac-Mégantic?
At around 0115, when MMA-002 approached the centre of the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, 63 tank cars carrying petroleum crude oil (UN 1267) and 2 box cars derailed. About 6 million litres of petroleum crude oil spilled.
What caused the Lac-Mégantic accident?
The tragedy in Lac-Mégantic was not caused by one single person, action or organization. Many factors played a role, and addressing the safety issues will take a concerted effort from regulators, railways, shippers, tank car manufacturers, and refiners in Canada and the United States.