On June 6, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. (CDT) a eastbound BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) train, symbol CSCMSUD152 derailed on the Twin Cities Division, Jamestown Subdivision in Tower City, North Dakota at milepost 50.0. The train was traveling on a single main track at a recorded speed of 50 mph. The maximum authorized timetable track speed in the area of the accident is 60 mph. The train consisted of three locomotives, 122 railcars of coal, with 17,036 trailing tons and 6,476 feet in length. A total of 29 cars, 25th through the 53rd, derailed. There were no injuries reported and no release of hazardous material. The estimated damages was $1,907,014 ($150,000 for signal, $248,000 for track and $1,509,014 for equipment). At the time of the derailment it was 73 degrees F and partly cloudy. The probable cause of the accident was the securement bolts holding the coupler pin retainer plate became either loose or were missing allowing the retainer plate to move, drop, or swing out which allowed the vertical pin to fall out of car (DETX994371). This in turn caused the coupler to fall out, then causing the train to derail (E39C).
Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Headquarters Assigned Accident Investigation Report HQ-2007-34, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), Tower, North Dakota, June 6, 2007
2007
7 pages
Report
No indication
English
Railroad Transportation , Transportation Safety , Metropolitan Rail Transportation , Accident investigations , Railroad trains , Railroad passenger service , North Dakota , Commuter transportation , Derailment , Accident Investigation Report HQ-2007-34 , Tower(North Dakota) , Burlington Northern Santa Fe(BNSF) , BNSF(Burlington Northern Santa Fe) , Train symbol CSCMSUD152