RAILROAD ACCIDENT REPORT: DERAILMENT OF TANK CARS WITH SUBSEQUENT FIRE AND EXPLOSION ON CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND AND PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY NEAR DES MOINES, IOWA, SEPTEMBER 1, 1975

At 4:00 p.m. on September 1, 1975, 17 cars of a Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad train, No. 81A31, derailed at the frog of a facing point switch on the main line near Des Moines, Iowa. The train was descending a 1-percent grade on a 1-degree curve. Eleven of the derailed cars contained liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Fire and explosions ensued; the LPG was consumed and three persons were injured. The National Transportation Safety Board could not determine the cause of the initial derailment. The cause of the injuries and damages was the derailment of cars at or near the frog of the turnout and the subsequent tankhead punctures by disengaged couplers of the derailed tank cars.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  Office of Surface Transportation Safety
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1976-6-30

Media Info

• Pagination: 22 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Butane; Couplers; Crash injury research; Crash investigation; Crashes; Derailments; Explosions; Fatalities; Fire fighting; Fires; Freight transportation; Frogs (Railroads); Hazardous materials; Injuries; Liquefied petroleum gas; Railroad cars; Railroad safety; Railroad tracks; Railroads; Research; Safety; Switching; Tank cars
• Identifier Terms: Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
• Uncontrolled Terms: Switches
• Old TRIS Terms: Cargo transportation; Switching system; Tank car heads; Tank car safety
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Railroads; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00143330
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB-RAR-76-8
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 17 1976 12:00AM