File 2009.14: MBTA

Case Type: Railroad

Description:
A rail yard worker does not fully engage the derail mechanism over the rails leading to the tracks main line and a train's brakeman does not fully engage the hand brake on the last car of his train. Once the crew leaves for the night, the train begins rolling and instead of being derailed inside the yard and protecting the main line track, the run away train continues on the main line and ends up in a head on collision with another train.

Visualizations Produced:
Fearless Eye received laser scan data of both the rail yard and the derail mechanism from the expert. From this scan data Fearless Eye was able to accurately model the rail yard and it's components. We were then able to illustrate

1. How the derail mechanism was supposed to work.

2. How the derail mechanism did not work allowing the train to re-rail.

3. How the brakeman's testimony cannot be accurate because there just isn't enough time.