REPORT ON JULY 1, 1973 ACCIDENT INVOLVING TYPE E TOP AND BOTTOM SHELF COUPLERS (12/11/73). PHASE 10 REPORT

While it has not been within Project policy to issue reports on specific accidents, a derailment on July 1, 1973 near Romney, Ky. is of sufficient interest to warrant departure from policy. This derailment involved a tank car equipped with Type E top and bottom shelf couplers (hereinafter referred to as "Shelf couplers"). The performance of these couplers in accidents is of vital interest since the Project has recommended that all new tank cars and certain existing ones be equipped with these couplers to reduce the probability of head punctures. The involved car, UTLX 59641, is one of 225 cars which have been equipped with the shelf couplers under a trial service program. The objective of this program is to determine if any problems exist with these couplers in normal railroad operational environment, satisfactory performance being a prerequisite to adoption of the Project recommendations. Conversely, it was not an objective to determine the couplers' performance in the derailment environment; however, since the accident has now occurred, it is obviously worthy of careful review.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • An RPI-AAR Cooperative Project. Direct requests to the Project Director's Office, Earl Phillips.
• Corporate Authors:

  Association of American Railroads Research Center

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616
• Authors:
  • PHILLIPS, E A
• Publication Date: 1973-12-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: 15 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Couplers; Derailments; Freight cars; Hazardous materials; Mechanical failure; Railroad safety; Tank cars
• Old TRIS Terms: Freight car component performance; Shelf couplers; Tank car safety; Tank car safety research and test project; Type e couplers
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00080372
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-154
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 11 1976 12:00AM