Stephen A. Lawrence wrote:
likely to be overturned by a stone or broken bottle. (The railroad accident in Japan on Monday may have been caused partly by a stone on the rails.)
That, and the fact that the train was behind schedule and was reported to be traveling rather faster than normal in an effort to make up the lost time.
No doubt that was the main cause. But the speed was ~100 kph which was probably not fast enough to cause the accident without other contributing factors. Investigators are examining damage and white grains on the rail which may indicate there was a stone on the tracks. It would have to be a small stone, because the front car has a bumper that pushes anything larger than a few centimeters out of the way.
Actually, the very latest news reports say that investigators are looking into a possible "wheel load balance" failure during emergency braking. They suspect the lead car may have jumped the track when the engineer panicked and slammed on the brakes.
Details on the accident are being reported obsessively on Japanese television and in the press. Every morning and evening broadcast features a parade of university professors who describe the physics and engineering in more detail than you would see in most US media, except for PBS or the History Channel's "Modern Marvels" program.
The relatively inexperienced engineer (23 years old, just 11 months on the job) is suspected of having taken the curve where it derailed far too fast, but there is as yet no proof . . .
There is plenty of proof of that. They have recovered something like a black box recorder with a record of the speed and other operating parameters.
. . . and may never be unless the engineer recovers and admits to it.
The engineer is dead. The body has not been recovered yet as far as I know.
Would a stone on the rails not have tended to derail the locomotive rather than several cars farther down the train, as I believe actually happened?
This is a commuter electric train was no locomotive. All cars are powered. As far as I know the first car jumped the track first. It ended up in the parking garage of the condominium. The second car was wrapped around the edge of the condominium building. Amazingly, the building itself sustained little damage, and building inspectors say it can be repaired and will not be condemned. I doubt anyone will want to live there though!
The Japanese railways have a superb safety record and accidents of this nature are almost unheard of. In fact, officials have been astounded to learn that the engine driver exceeded the speed limit. That almost never happens. If he had been caught I expect he would have been fired forthwith. The president of the company and several other high officials will take responsibility and resign as soon as the initial investigation ends -- obviously. In the old days the immediate supervisor would probably have committed suicide.
The company president has been shown on the seven o'clock news going around visiting *every single victim's family* and apologizing in person. I doubt that would happen in any other country. The poor fellow looks like a nervous wreck. He said on TV: "I spent all day and night having people tell me: 'Why did you take my daughter from me?!? How could you do this to me???'" I wish we could subject all corporate and government officials to this kind of treatment when they are responsible for terrible accidents, wars, pollution, etc.
- Jed
