'There was a lot of people hurt. Were he to fall asleep or pass out, his foot would slip from the pedal, triggering an alarm and engaging the train's brakes automatically a few seconds later. I bet if you ask anyone who was here at that time they can tell you exactly what they were doing that day when they heard the news.. Feb. 8, 1986 is a day Wendy Shevalier and her family will never forget. Set asside union sqeal, bring in physicals, drug and alcohol tests every 3 months and different doctorsnot the rubber stamp horse doctorsand include management. To commemorate the tragic event and remember those who lost their lives, a plaque was unveiled outside the Hinton Museum Monday, exactly 30 years from the day of the accident. The collision occurred on a stretch of Canadian National Railway's transcontinental main line west of Edmonton, near the town of Hinton, Alberta. Were he to fall asleep or pass out, his foot would slip from the pedal, triggering an alarm and engaging the train's brakes automatically a few seconds later. Had the Super Continental been even a minute early, it would have been past the switch at this point, but it was not. The first seven units had originated in Vancouver, and the next six units had originated in Prince Rupert. This was to prevent the train from going into an automatic emergency brake if the engineer fell asleep briefly. The freight still did not slow down, instead jumping the switch and entering the section of single track occupied by the Super Continental. It was the most lethal Canadian rail disaster since the Dugald accident of 1947, and would not be surpassed until the Lac-Mgantic rail disaster in 2013 which killed forty-seven people. The Foisy Commission published its full report on 22 January 1987. The Commission also concludes that there are serious deficiencies in the manner in which CN monitored and reacted to that condition. Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1677 - Canadian National Railways and United Transportation Union", "RailPictures.Net Photo: Via 6300 Via Rail EMD FP9u at Montreal, Quebec, Canada by pierre fournier", "Canadian Railway Observations - Canadian Railway History", "Heber Valley RR Equipment from British Columbia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hinton_train_collision&oldid=1138026339, Railway accidents involving a signal passed at danger, Accidents and incidents involving Canadian National Railway, Accidents and incidents involving Via Rail, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Possible: locomotive engineer/brakeman fatigue, or heart attack or stroke, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 16:51. The inquiry concluded that no one individual was to blame; instead it condemned what Foisy described as a "railroader culture" that prized loyalty and productivity at the expense of safety. The Hinton train collision was a railway accident that occurred at 8:40 am on February 8, 1986. While the second locomotive in the freight train was equipped with RSC, it was not assigned as the lead locomotive because it lacked a comfort cab. "It was an opportunity for political grandstanding. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. On the morning of February 8, 1986, Via Rail 's No. We try to instill his legacy into these kids and remember what he was about, Shevalier explained. Waymarkly is the premiere Waymarking app for iOS. All three freight locomotives followed by 76 hoppers and tank cars were either destroyed or severely damaged. It was devastating, recalled Shevalier. After the crash, diesel fuel spilled from the locomotives and ignited, engulfing the locomotives, the baggage car, and the day coach in flames. However, many engineers found this tiresome and bypassed the pedal by placing a heavy weight on it. Jasper is a railroad town first and foremost. The observation dome car behind the day coach suffered serious damage and was also hit by a freight car. I have seen employees smoking pot on the job, but union. Two of the three crew members on the freight were also missing, he said. The front cars and freight wagons derailed. It was surmised that the accident was a result of the crew of the freight train becoming incapacitated, and the resulting investigations revealed serious flaws in CN's employee practices. The inquiry report was published on January 22, 1987. Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In all, 115 people were on the train: 94 passengers, 14 stewards, and seven crew. [1], The freight train left Edson at 6:40 am, and took the siding at Medicine Lodge to allow two eastbound trains to pass. Tall wagons would also degrade visibility, even from the cupola of a caboose. You Are Wasting Your Life Away Sitting In Traffic, 5. Instead of condemning any one individual, it instead condemned what Foisy described as a "railroader culture" that prized loyalty and productivity at the expense of safety. With the train traveling much faster than the maximum speed allowed, Smith should have known to stop the train. However, enough of their remains were found that testing was able to rule out drugs or alcohol as the cause. A more advanced safety device was available, the Reset Safety Control (RSC), required crew members to take an action such as pushing a button at regular intervals, or else automatic braking would occur, but neither lead locomotive was equipped with this safety feature. It departed Medicine Lodge at 8:02 am and reached Hargwen at 8:20 am, where a section of double track started. "They had 23 roses that they were calling up, if there were family or friends to lay the rose. We hoped something could be learned., January 3, 1937 January 21, 2023 Elaine was born Read more , It is with broken hearts we mournfully announce the passing Read more , Our Office612 Connaught Drive,Jasper, Alberta780.852.4888, Mailing AddressP.O. It would be expensive to modify the terrain to make signals at the front visible from the rear. The inquiry report was published on January 22, 1987. Why are these people still dying? Twenty-three people were killed in a collision between a Canadian National Railway freight train and a Via Rail passenger train. On the morning of February 8, 1986, Via Rail 's No. The bodies were being taken to a makeshift morgue in Hinton, then to Edmonton for further examination. Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error, "Head-On Collision" (Also "Train Collision" and "Impact on the Rails. i hope that it was worth the experience though. In the caboose was conductor Wayne "Smitty" Smith, aged 33.c. The remote dispatcher at Edmonton had set the switch so that the train was routed onto the north track. Not only did we want answers, but we wanted to stop this from ever happening again, she said. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). While the locomotive was moving slowly through the yard, the new crew would jump on and the previous crew would jump off. A steam generator was coupled to the end of the train at Jasper for transfer to Edmonton depot for maintenance. It left on time, five minutes later, at 8:25 am. The freight train left Edson at 6:40am. Today its the Aniversery of the Hinton Alberta Train Crash." Sticks: "Jeepers!" Tails: "Nick, Tell us the story." Nick: "Well, the crash occurred on February 8, 1986. in a area called Dalehurst, Alberta. As the accident unfolded, the cars on the freight train piled up on each other, resulting in a large pile of rolling stock. As an example of this disregard of safety, it was noted that the crew of that train had boarded the locomotive at Edson "on the fly". Thank you so much for getting one of my personal favorite videos to this many views!A documentary some people have been waiting f. This set the absolute three-aspect signal at the Dalehurst control point on the north line (about 490ft (150m) before the end of double-track) to an absolute stop indication of three steady red lights, telling the freight train to not proceed any further. The Hinton train crash occurred near this location at 8:40 a.m. on February 8, 1986. Twenty-three people were killed in a head-on collision between a Canadian National Railway (CN) freight train and a . A more advanced safety device was available, the Reset Safety Control (RSC), required crew members to take an action such as pushing a button at regular intervals, or else automatic braking would occur, but neither lead locomotive was equipped with this safety feature. With the train traveling much faster than the maximum speed allowed, Smith should have known to stop the train. Despite implementing several new safety measures, Shevalier still questions whether enough has been done in the last 30 years, pointing to the Lac-Mgantic rail disaster, which killed 47 people and destroyed a large portion of the towns downtown core in 2013. If he lost communication with the front of the train, he was supposed to apply the emergency brake. Nearby towns are Jasper to the west and Edson to the east. The Hinton train collision was a railway accident that occurred on February 8, 1986. It was uncertain whether the pedal had been bypassed in this case because the lead locomotive of the train had been destroyed. . In the caboose was conductor Wayne "Smitty" Smith, aged 33.c. At least 29 people were killed. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. He also testified that he attempted to radio Hudson on two radios and several channels, but neither seemed to be working, even though immediately after the crash Smith was able to contact the dispatcher by radio. Why the Canadian . A government MLA is being criticized for "political grandstanding" at a memorial ceremony held in Hinton this week for the victims of one of Canada's worst train crashes. Slightly over half of the 100 mile (160 kilometer) stretch of track between Jasper and Edson was double-tracked, including 11.2 miles (18 kilometers) of trackage from Hargwen siding west to Dalehurst siding. There were no deaths in these cars, but there were several injuries. 5104), Seven bulkhead flat cars loaded with large pipes. Includes the ability to log visits, view logs, save and filter offline Waymarks and use beautiful offline maps! Feb. 8, 1986 is a day Wendy Shevalier and her family will never forget. As the conductor is in charge of the train, had Smith felt that the train was out of control or there were serious problems, he should have pulled the brake cord in the caboose to stop the train. Tabloid Columnist Calls For Bicycle Ban in Toronto, 7. A commission of inquiry into the accident . Via Rail's No. Traffic on this line was controlled with Centralized Traffic Control (CTC). The accident took place on a stretch of Canadian National Railway's transcontinental main line, near the town of Hinton, Alberta, west of Edmonton. While this method of changing crews saved time and fuel, it was a flagrant violation of safety regulations requiring a stationary brake test after a crew change. The train dispatcher at Edmonton set the dual-control switch (DCS) so that the freight train took the north track. Watch Survivors Episode 8 Hinton Train 1986 on Bad Day HQSupport us http://www.patreon.com/baddayhq The Hinton train collision was a railway accident that oc. Twenty-three people were killed and 95 others sustained injuries in a collision between a Canadian National (CN) Railway freight train and a VIA Rail Canada passenger train. The remote dispatcher at Edmonton had set the switch so that the train was routed onto the north track. When he testified, he appeared to be lying to the panel. The fuel tanks of one of the locomotives exploded into flames on impact. The inquiry lasted 56 days of public hearings and received evidence from 150 parties. He also testified that he attempted to radio Hudson on two radios and several channels, but neither seemed to be working, despite the fact that immediately after the crash Smith was able to contact the dispatcher by radio. 'Whether its failure to stop was due to signal failure or human failure is what we're trying to find out,' CNR spokesman Bill Dewan said. Another frequently ignored safety regulation mentioned in the report was the "deadman's pedal," which a locomotive engineer had to keep depressed. This train collision has somewhat haunted me since I saw a special on it on TV a while back. The only survivor of the freight train was the conductor, Wayne Smith who was riding in the caboose at the time of the collision. In the front locomotive were engineer John Edward (Jack) Hudson, aged 48, and brakeman Mark Edwards, aged 25. It was uncertain whether the pedal had been bypassed in this case because the lead locomotive of the train had been destroyed. [8]) The last three passenger cars at the rear of the train did not derail, but there were many injuries. While this method saved time and fuel, it was a flagrant violation of safety regulations which required stationary brake tests after a crew change. On the morning of February 8, 1986, Via Rail's No. Twenty-three people were killed in a collision between a Canadian National Railway freight train and a Via Rail passenger train. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The report highlighted that there was no evidence that either train made any attempt to brake prior to the collision. Veterans Voice: Former Vietnam War medic has spent a lifetime advocating for others. . Management and union practice was to place more comfortable locomotives at the front of trains, even at the expense of safety. It consisted of 14 units in the following order: The unusual make up of the train was the result of two separate trains being joined together in Jasper. Jan 19, 2015. The mid train locomotive (6300) was severely damaged (It was repaired with a new cab section from a KCS EMD F7). The report also noted that although the front-end and rear-end crews should have been in regular communication, that did not appear to be the case in this accident. Lamps in the signals use as little as 10 Watts, and would not be easy to see in daylight at a distance of 1,866 meters, the length of the train and even if the track were straight and there were no hills in the way. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. . July 17 (UPI) -- CPI Aerostructures has secured a five-year contract worth $21 million to manufacture and supply fuel panel assemblies for Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. 413 left Edson at 6:40 am, and took the siding at Medicine Lodge to allow two eastbound trains to pass. 4 train, the combined Super Continental and Skeena, was travelling from Jasper east to Edmonton on its transcontinental journey. The others were able to escape either through a broken window in the dome or through the hole left by the freight car. Management and union practice was to place more comfortable locomotives at the front of trains, even at the expense of safety. Twenty-three people were killed in a collision between a Canadian National Railway freight train and a Via Rail passenger train called the Super Continental, including the engine crews of both trains. Mary K. Talbot. The collision occurred 250 feet from a switch where a double track merges into one. 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