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Braking systems behind derailment

Problems with braking systems appear to have contributed to the Aug. 2 train derailment that destroyed a couple of Hyndman homes and forced the town’s evacuation, according to a preliminary federal report.

A Monday report from the National Transportation Safety Board said the CSX train had stopped on a downward hill after its crew noticed problems with its air brakes, which use compressed air to operate a mechanical braking system. The conductor discovered an air leak and stopped the train with 58 hand brakes while awaiting repairs.

By the time mechanics fixed the air brakes, the crew had worked too long to complete the trip, the safety board reported. CSX switched them for another crew, who thought the air brake problem remained unresolved and decided to continue using the hand brakes.

Using all 58 hand brakes, the new crew tried unsuccessfully to descend the hill, the report states. The conductor later took off 25 of the hand brakes and occasionally switched to dynamic braking — a practice in which the locomotive engine itself is used to slow forward movement. The train, consisting of five locomotives pulling 128 full cars and 50 empty ones, went between 20 and 30 mph before the early morning crash.

One car in the train derailed one set of wheels nearly 2 miles before the crash, the safety board found. When the train reached a road crossing in Hyndman, the derailment grew worse, eventually pulling dozens of cars off the tracks.

The ensuing crash threw cars into homes and left burning tanks of propane and sulfur near populated areas. Fifteen railcars containing hazardous materials were involved in the crash, including some carrying asphalt and phosphoric acid residue.

Officials closed nearby roads and ordered an evacuation — which ultimately affected about 1,000 people — as CSX workers cleared the scene over several days.

No one was killed or injured in the wreck, although at least two houses were destroyed and several others damaged.

The National Transpor­tation Safety Board said several railcars near those that derailed had flat spots on their wheels and “bluing due to brake pad friction,” suggesting the earlier brake issues might have been involved. Officials have not identified a single cause, but said they would investigate factors including the train’s length, composition and operation as well as track conditions.

Officials said parts of the propane tank car were removed and taken to a federal laboratory for examination. Several groups are involved in the investigation, including the Federal Railroad Administration, CSX and two railroad workers’ unions.

The board stressed that the information in its report is preliminary and could be changed.

Mirror Staff Writer Ryan Brown is at 946-7457.

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