Trainwreck
A train wreck, train collision, train accident or train crash is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track; or an accident, such as when a train wheel jumps off a track in a derailment; or when a boiler explosion occurs. Train wrecks have often been widely covered in popular media and in folklore. A head-on collision between two trains is colloquially called a "cornfield meet" in the United States. Train wreck gallery Image:Train wreck in Rainy River District, Ontario (I0002383).tiff, Train wreck in Rainy River District, Ontario in the 1900s. See also * Lists of rail accidents :* List of accidents and disasters by death toll * Classification of railway accidents :* Boiler explosion :* Bridge disaster :* Derailment :* Level crossing crashes :*Runaway :* Signal passed at danger :*Tram accident A tram accident is any accident involving a tram. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Train Wreck At Montparnasse 1895
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often known simply as "engines"), though some are self-propelled, such as multiple units. Passengers and cargo are carried in railroad cars, also known as wagons. Trains are designed to a certain Track gauge, gauge, or distance between rails. Most trains operate on steel tracks with steel wheels, the low friction of which makes them more efficient than other forms of transport. Trains have their roots in wagonways, which used railway tracks and were Horsecar, powered by horses or Cable railway, pulled by cables. Following the invention of the steam locomotive in the United Kingdom in 1804, trains rapidly spread around the world, allowing freight and passengers to move over land faster and cheaper than ever pos ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Derailment
In rail transport, a derailment occurs when a rail vehicle such as a train comes off its rails. Although many derailments are minor, all result in temporary disruption of the proper operation of the railway system and they are a potentially serious hazard. A derailment of a train can be caused by a collision with another object, an operational error (such as excessive speed through a curve), the mechanical failure of tracks (such as broken rails), or the mechanical failure of the wheels, among other causes. In emergency situations, deliberate derailment with derails or catch points is sometimes used to prevent a more serious accident. History The first recorded train derailment in history is known as the Hightstown Rail Accident in New Jersey that occurred on November 8, 1833. The train was traveling between Hightstown and Spotswood New Jersey and derailed after an axle broke on one of the carriages as a result of a journal box catching fire. The derailment resulted in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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A Voice From The Signal-box
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient Greek letter alpha, from which it derives. The uppercase version consists of the two slanting sides of a triangle, crossed in the middle by a horizontal bar. The lowercase version can be written in two forms: the double-storey a and single-storey É‘. The latter is commonly used in handwriting and fonts based on it, especially fonts intended to be read by children, and is also found in italic type. In English grammar, " a", and its variant " an", are indefinite articles. History The earliest certain ancestor of "A" is aleph (also written 'aleph), the first letter of the Phoenician alphabet, which consisted entirely of consonants (for that reason, it is also called an abjad to distinguish it fro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Head-on Collision
A head-on collision is a traffic collision where the front ends of two vehicles such as cars, trains, ships or planes hit each other when travelling in opposite directions, as opposed to a side collision or rear-end collision. Rail transport With railways, a head-on collision occurs most often on a single line railway. This usually means that at least one of the trains has passed a signal at danger, or that a signalman has made a major error. Head-on collisions may also occur at junctions, for similar reasons. In the early days of railroading in the United States, such collisions were quite common and gave to the rise of the term "Cornfield Meet". As time progressed and signalling became more standardized, such accidents became less frequent. Even so, the term still sees some usage in the industry. The origins of the term are not well known, but it is attributed to accidents happening in rural America where farming and cornfields were common. The first known usage of the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Crush, Texas
The Crash at Crush was a one-day publicity stunt in the U.S. state of Texas that took place on September 15, 1896, in which two uncrewed locomotives were crashed into each other head-on at high speed. William George Crush, general passenger agent of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, conceived the idea in order to demonstrate a staged train wreck as a public spectacle. No admission was charged, and train fares to the crash site – called Crush, set up as a temporary destination for the event – were offered at the reduced rate of from any location in Texas. As a result, an estimated 40,000 people—more people than lived in the state's second-largest city at the time—attended the event. Unexpectedly, the impact caused both engine boilers to explode, resulting in a shower of flying debris that killed two people and caused numerous injuries among the spectators. Preparations The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (popularly known as the "Katy", from its "M-K-T" initials) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wrong-side Failure
A wrong-side failure describes a failure condition in a piece of railway signalling equipment that results in an unsafe state. A typical example would be a signal showing a 'proceed' aspect (e.g. green) when it should be showing a 'stop' or 'danger' aspect, resulting in a "false clear". (The converse is a right-side failure, where even with any reduction the resulting state is safe overall.) Example of how a wrong-side failure may occur Consider a relay that has to energize to show a green light. If a wire breaks, or the battery is drained, then the relay will de-energize and the signal will show a red light, which is fail-safe. If a stray wire from another circuit touches the wire connected to that same relay, then that would be a wrong side failure, which is potentially dangerous. This stray wire can be guarded against by ensuring that the insulation on the relay wire is of good quality, and that all terminals are locked away. In addition, the relay may be double-switched ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tram Accident
A tram accident is any accident involving a tram. Alternatively, any accident involving a tram or a tram system may be considered a tram accident. The latter definition is more commonly used in public safety studies. Tram systems are typically considered to be environmentally friendly, efficient and cost effective methods of transport within urban areas. However, safety concerns associated with tram systems – particularly poor maneuverability and long braking distances – cannot be ignored. The research indicates that for each kilometer traveled, trams are 12 times more likely to be involved in a serious accident than a car. Limited information on tram accidents exists in scientific literature. Causes Tram car accidents The tram car may be damaged during derailment or collision with other vehicles or pedestrians. Tram derailments are often caused by damaged track, collisions with obstacles, junction failures, or excessive speed at a junction or curve. Additionally, collis ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Signal Passed At Danger
A signal passed at danger (SPAD), known in the United States as a stop signal overrun and in Canada as passing a stop signal, is an event on a railway where a train passes a stop railway signal, signal without authority. In the United States and Canada, this may be known colloquially as ''wikt:run a red light, running a red'', though this idiom principally refers to automobiles passing red traffic signals. The name derives from red Railway_signal#Colour_light_signals, colour light signals and horizontal Railway semaphore signal, semaphore signals in the United Kingdom, which are said to be ''at danger'' when they indicate that trains must stop (also known as the signal being ''on''). This terminology is not used in North America where not all red signals indicate stop. In the UK, the alternative description signal passed at red (S.P.A.R.) is used where a signal changes to red in front of a train due to either a technical fault or in an emergency, such that the train is unable t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Runaway Train
A runaway train is a type of railroad incident in which unattended rolling stock is accidentally allowed to roll onto the main line, a moving train loses enough braking power to be unable to stop in safety, or a train operates at unsafe speeds due to loss of operator control. If the uncontrolled rolling stock derails or hits another train, it will result in a train wreck. A deadman's control, if the brakes are working, can prevent unattended rolling stock from moving. A railway air brake can fail if valves on the pipe between each wagon are accidentally closed; the 1953 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck and the 1988 Gare de Lyon train accident were results of a valve accidentally closed by the crew, reducing braking power. A parked train or cut of cars may also run away if not properly tied down with a sufficient number of hand brakes. Incidents Accidents and incidents involving defective or improperly-set railway brakes include: * Igandu train disaster, Tanzania (2002) â ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Level Crossing Crashes
The following is an incomplete list of accidents that occur at a level crossing; in other words, this list only includes railway accidents that occur at-grade and not separated from other traffic by bridges and overpasses. Note that this list is incomplete with many countries not reporting accidents, or only listing accidents of a certain level of severity and loss of life. Argentina * 11 October 1935 – Near Naón a bus was hit by a train. Ten killed * 11 June 1962 – Villa Soldati level crossing tragedy, Buenos Aires: 42 people were killed and 88 injured when a bus was hit by an express train. * 1 February 1964 – A train hit a bus near Paraná. 20 killed and 16 injured. * 10 January 1965 – Near La Plata a bus was hit by a train. Eight killed and twenty-nine injured * 31 October 1984 – San Justo level crossing disaster: at least 48 people died and 16 were injured when a local bus was hit by a commuter train. * 12 May 1992 – A car was hit by a freight train ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Bridge Disasters
This is a list of bridge failures. Before 1800 1800–1899 1900–1949 1950–1999 2000–present Bridge disasters in fiction *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005 novel): the fictional Brockdale Bridge, by the Death Eaters (replaced by the real-world Millennium Bridge, London in the 2009 film) * Final Destination 5 (2011 film) * The Bridge over the River Kwai (1952 novel) and its 1957 film adaptation The Bridge on the River Kwai *The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927 novel) *Ring of Fire (1961 film) *The Cassandra Crossing (1976 film) *The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966 film): bridge intentionally destroyed by Blondie and Tuco *The General (1926 film) * Train Man (1999 novel): featuring destruction of rail bridges over the Mississippi River * X-Men: The Last Stand (2006 film): The Golden Gate Bridge is rerouted by mutants to create a path to Alcatraz Island * Monsters vs. Aliens (2009 film): The Golden Gate Bridge is destroyed by a giant robot but Ginormica ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |