Too hot for the Washington Metro?

[marmar]

(Markette Smith — Washington, DC, WAMU) More details have emerged about the July 3 train car derailment that happened during rush hour near West Hyattsville, Md.

Metro engineers inspected the tracks a day before the derailment, but say they found no warning signs. The following day, a portion of the railing buckled from the pressure of prolonged 100-degree weather. This “heat kink” caused a six-car Green line train to jump the tracks.

Now, Metro officials say the only way to prevent that from happening again is to change the way they install railing system-wide.

Dave Kubecik, Deputy General Manager of Metro Operations, says the likelihood of a track buckling increases when temperatures climb higher than 85 degrees. So now, they’re trying new methods of installing rail that can withstand greater exposures to heat. .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://transportationnation.org/2012/07/13/dc-metro-we-need-rail-that-can-handle-hotter-temperatures/

[Atman]

1. Sorry, I'm skeptical...

This is STEEL, correct? And we're talking about 100 degrees, not 1000? And these rails buckled perfectly in unison? I'm not even sure what I'm bitching about, but this seems totally crazy...100 degree weather caused steal to buckle like this? Doesn't a 100 car freight train generate more heat than that as is passes over the tracks? Something is not being fully reported here.

[jeff47]

6. They didn't buckle because of the train running over them.

The steel expanded in the heat. Like all steel does. So the tracks grew longer. If you don't have enough expansion joints in the tracks the ends of the rails run into each other, and then the rail bends somewhere in the middle.

Train runs over the sudden bend, the wheels can't follow it, and you get a derailment.

[Atman]

7. Still not buying it.

100 degrees is not unusual. I understand that steel expands...why is this year so different? 100 is not 1000. Why is this enough to buckle steel?

[jeff47]

8. Well, it has happened in the past

Imagine a situation where the expansion joints are big enough to handle 90 regularly. Just barely. Now it's 100+ for a week.

Plus, there have been problems in the past as well.

[djean111]

2. Only 85 degrees?

DC has always been hotter than that in the summer!
But - I had not really thought how imaginary global warming would affect infrastructure like this.

[marmar]

3. "Imaginary" global warming?

nt

[djean111]

4. Sorry - forgot the sarcasm thingy.

[marmar]

5. Whew. You scared me there for a minute.