Derailment

Form of train incident Train wreck in Leavick, Colorado, in 1897 A c. 1890s picture by "C. Petersen" Fayette County, Texas, of a train derailment A derailed freight train in Farragut, Tennessee (2002) In rail transport, a derailment is a type of railway accident that occurs when a moving 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, operator error (such as excessive speed through a curve), mechanical failure of tracks (such as broken rails) or wheels, among other causes. In emergency situations, deliberate derailment with derails or catch points is sometimes used to prevent a more serious accident. History United States The first recorded train derailment in history is known as the Hightstown rail accident in New Jersey that occurred on 8 November 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