REPORT ON FEBRUARY 9, 1974, ACCIDENT INVOLVING TYPE E TOP AND BOTTOM SHELF COUPLERS (4/22/74). PHASE 10 REPORT

While it has not been within Project policy to issue reports on specific accidents, a second derailment has occurred which involved the Type E top and bottom shelf coupler (The previous derailment occurred on July 1, 1973 and is reported on in RA-10-3-25, dated 12/11/73) and is of sufficient interest to warrant departure from policy. The performance of these "shelf" couplers in accidents is of vital interest in view of the Project recommendation (ref. Section VI, Report RA-00-1-22) that all new tank cars and certain existing ones be equipped with these couplers to reduce the probability of head punctures, whereas the previous derailment involved a hopper car so equipped (L&N 191421). The car is one of 225 cars which have been in trial service 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 expected that sufficient derailments would occur with 225 cars to make the prime objective of this trial service one of evaluating the couplers' performance in the derailment environment; however, since a second accident has 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: 1974-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 13 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: 00080371
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Association of American Railroads
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-159
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 11 1976 12:00AM