NTSB Animation of the Union Pacific Railroad Unit Ethanol Train Derailment near Graettinger, Iowa

Visualization of Estimated Derailed Car Motion
The three‐dimensional animation shows the estimated derailed car pileup sequence that began at about 12:50:43 a.m. local time. The Office of Research and Engineering reconstructed the train motion to help assess the initial energy state, path, and mechanical impact damage of each derailed car. On-rail vehicle motion was reconstructed from locomotive event recorder, external video, and external audio data as well as car, track, and wayside infrastructure data. Google Earth Pro was used to render the reconstructed train motion.
Derailed car motion was derived from car on-rail and post-derailment position and orientation data as well as the entry speed of the trailing cars recorded by the rear locomotive. Interpolation was used to define the path of each derailed car between its onrail and at rest positions. The resulting derailed car motion is not strictly time accurate, kinematically consistent, or the product of a fully validated, first-principles-based physics model.
Two views of the estimated derailed car pileup sequence are included. The local time after midnight, lead and trailing locomotive consist speed, and throttle position are presented in the right-hand side upper frame. The lead locomotive external camera view looking forward is shown in the lower frame. The lead locomotive external audio data are also synchronized.
The unintended emergency brake application, ethanol ignition and combustion events, and post-accident drone survey data are annotated in the region above the right-hand side upper frame.
The animation does not attempt to portray actual time of day, season, weather, or lighting conditions, except as recorded by the lead locomotive external camera. Car collision dynamics, deformation, component separation/damage, track and bridge damage, and environmental damage are not depicted, except as documented by the aerial drone survey.
Each of the two animation segments begins at 00:49:49 a.m. with a chase view of the eastbound lead locomotive consist, a buffer car, and the first five tank cars. At this time, the train is approaching the bridge over Jack Creek at a speed of 31 mph with the throttle in the idle position.
First Animation Segment
At 00:50:11 the camera transitions from chase view to overhead view as the lead locomotive begins to transit the bridge. Car line number 21, the most forward derailed tank car, comes into view from the bottom of the screen at 00:50:37 with the train speed reduced to 29 mph.
At 00:50:43 an annotation states that the derailed car motion was estimated as car line numbers 21 through 24 begin to derail. At this time car line number 21 is near the bridge midpoint, car line number 22 is straddling the transition region between ballasted roadbed and the bridge, and car line numbers 23 and 24 are trailing on the west approach to the bridge. An emergency braking annotation then appears.
Car line number 21 comes to rest south and east of the bridge, car line number 22 comes to rest south of the east end of the bridge, and car line numbers 23-27 pile up in sequential order, perpendicular to the original bridge with car line number 23 near the bridge midpoint.
Car line number 28 cleaves car line numbers 26 and 27 in half and travels over car line number 25, ending up pitched down nearly parallel to the original bridge with its forward end in Jack Creek.
At 00:50:53 an ethanol ignition/combustion annotation appears as the lead locomotive external camera view transitions from nominal background darkness to near daytime illumination levels at 00:50:59 and then back to nominal background darkness at 00:51:03.
Car line numbers 29-32 pile up sequentially in accordion fashion to fill in the gap at the west end of the original bridge. Car line numbers 33-40 continue to pile up sequentially in zig-zag fashion on the west approach to the bridge. All trailing cars aft of the bridge come to rest by 00:51:12, as the lead locomotive consist and car line numbers 1-20 continue forward at 9 mph with emergency brakes applied. The forward train section comes to rest at 00:51:22.
The aerial drone survey image is overlaid on the scene terrain about 00:51:30 with an accompanying annotation. The drone survey data enable the viewer to compare the estimated at-rest derailed car positions and orientations to the available factual evidence.
Second Animation Segment
The second animation segment differs from the first segment as follows:
1. At 00:50:11 a half-orbit camera view transitions from the original chase view to a view looking toward the approaching string of trailing cars from a position just north of the east end of the bridge.
2. Car line number 21 comes into view from the left side of the screen at 00:50:33 with the train speed reduced to 30 mph and the throttle still in the idle position.

[@frontrunners634]

1:15 what’s so scary is that in the cab view the entire field is lit up because of the ignitions of the ethanol.

[@delanorrosey4730]

Engineer: Whats that? Why is the field getting brighter? Brakeman: (looks back, in shock and awe as he sees railcars derailing and exploding, turns and winces) "Dude, you don't want to know. Just keep going forward. We'll radio it in a few minutes."

[@0M0R1..]

@@delanorrosey4730they are actually trying to stop and not keep going, it takes about 1 mile for a train like that to stop its just hard to see

[@zapfanzapfan]

Wait, the sun came up?

[@ryan335]

Hory SHEET

[@davidca96]

its amazing how much momentum long trains have, the cars just keep coming flying everywhere.

[@TheRealRajo6466]

​@@mrdarknezz6285 it kinda depends the weight of the train

[@puncheex2]

The accident occurred due to the south-side (right hand in the animation) breakage of the track. Marks in the wheels indicate that a transverse (across the rail) crack opened up in the rail with the passing of the 4th car in the train crossing the breakpoint, and the track completely severed and misaligned between the 20th and the 21st cars. The rail was "light 90 pound rail" (I assume that means the rails are 90 pounds in weight per foot of length (about 150 kg/m). Blame for the accident was determined to rest with the UP's maintenance and the FSA's oversight lapses. No one was killed or injured, though 4 nearby houses were evacuated; $4 million in damages occurred. About a quarter-million gallons of undenatured (that is, drinkable) alcohol was dumped. Some consideration was made as to whether undenatured alcohol should be shipped rather than denatured, as the damages appeared to be less from this accident than other similar one's with poisoned alcohol being shipped. The law about that was written in 1929 in prohibition days. The FSA (Federal Safety Administration) has already mandated stronger tank cars for hazardous liquids, but the NTSB is concerned about slipping of the 2023 mandated deadline. The accident happened about 12:50 AM in Iowa. Afterwards, a good time was had by all.

[@nathanhoffman1792]

plus all the damage that happen to our land and still having to deal with. Still pull lumber and metal out of our fields.

[@puncheex2]

@@nathanhoffman1792 Accidents do that. Sorry personally; I wouldn't have wanted to be near it.

[@steven2212]

@@nathanhoffman1792 sorry to hear that...hope you were compensated by the RR. Sadly, a productive and aggressive economy will always suffer accidents such as this. This type of cause sounds almost unprecented, poor track maintenance?

[@MichaelSmith-vy2gp]

I believe it is 90lb per yard with the equivalent in metric being 45kg rail

[@therabbitswhisper]

One would think that there would be a machine that could be attached to all trains to determine the quality of the track to prevent breakdown of steel.

[@Amtrakker]

The explosion lit up the night 1:15

[@ellisjackson3355]

Like that one episode of Malcolm in the middle where they lit that big firework... That's crazy.

[@Syclone0044]

I bet that sight raised the hair on the arms of the train engineer and conductor!!

[@hamentaschen]

Seriously, this made me fart. Twice!

[@GarrettHaire]

It’s surprising and eerie how fast that ethanol ignited and combusted (exploded).

[@sop2510]

Trains going into emergency never have a good outcome. It happened to me three times in one 40-mile trip, and each time on tangent track.

[@robertgift]

Cause?

[@sop2510]

@@robertgift Broken rail.

[@danni1993]

I love these animations!

[@johnsmith5255]

After seeing the length of the train in orbital view, my thought was, 'dang, sometimes they just make the train WAY too long!' Can you imagine waiting for a train like that to pass at a crossing?

[@nbain66]

I used to very often, but these days it's just once or twice a week

[@Rhythm65536]

Must be a massive wait, and I was also surprised when as the camera turned I was like "wow, wow, HOW BIG IS THAT?"

[@conanobrennan53]

@@mrdarknezz6285 usually by capacity issues like sidings long enough to have trains pass each other. Longest I've seen is in 15,000 ft lengths in PNW. I'm sure some of the unit trains in mid west could be longer. Also, the amount of locomotives and distribution (either in center/middle or rear of train) so you don't pull a drawbar out from too much pull force.

[@SureShotImages]

TOO long? There’s no such thing. The only thing limiting the length of freight trains is the length of passing sidings and the horsepower available to pull them. That’s what makes freight rail in the US the mor efficient way to move goods.

[@WarFrog935]

I was stuck behind a train with 256 cars and 4 engines a few years ago in Georgia (it was fun)

[@MrMark85044]

Crazy, 2 loco's went over the bridge and 20 cars before it gave way.

[@mediosinformativosdelsuryn6134]

never

[@STEALTH1USA]

For sure ese, vatos be crazy.

[@slinger7529]

@@STEALTH1USA lmao

[@roadbeef]

1:12 fireball from behind loco cam, and blast sound shortly afterward

[@shable1436]

No fish were harmed I'm the making of this vid, just real drunk

[@boonedockjourneyman7979]

I remember watching the Moon landing on an 8" BW TV. To see the present video gives me confidence that our nation continues to be led by dedicated career service professionals. Forget what you see on cable TV. The real success of our way of life is being assured by the multitude of skilled people you will never see in the tabloids. You people give confidence that this great nation will traverse our infrastructure crisis without the fake news we see every night on the cable channels. Please keep heart through what will be at least a decade of increasing challenges.

[@MIckveli2]

-AND MOST OF ALL (GET & KEEP JESUS,IN YOUR HEART.! ) ASK HIM INTO YOUR HEART...DO IT NOW !!!!!

[@msxmurda2385]

Drivers probably like...maybe I should just keep going and act like I didn’t know what was behind me? 😵

[@brianfredrickson5529]

The Rock Island was a mighty fine line 🎶

[@ajo3085]

This is probably a situation where emergency braking isn't ideal. Lucky for the crew that the broken couplers weren't closer to them when they went into emergency.

[@qweqqweq2090]

interesting thought. I wonder what would have happened if he's just kept going and if there's any indicators that can point to the decision to just keep going to avoid what happened.

[@CorwinPearson]

@@qweqqweq2090 Engineers are allowed to bring the locomotive to a safe distance in the event of a combustion. I'm guessing they weren't too worried given they distance had, and decided it was better to stop and inspect the remaining part of the train for any possible fires.

[@louisvilleslugger3979]

DAMN jus bad luck, thankfully the engine got across it!

[@matthewwilliams2709]

Dammed You Tube ,all these disaster vids available watch one get a dozen others available to also watch , makes us more aware of how frequent these types of disasters really are and just how fast ones day could go horrifically wrong

[@geezer652]

Well, they can rename that creek to Drunk Fish Creek.;

[@mindlessgonzo]

If not Fried Fish Creek

[@shuckalax1104]

@@mindlessgonzo long john silvers - water delivery

[@Adam_Phillips_]

@@shuckalax1104 lol

[@shable1436]

Looks like that creek bridge had tilted some, in the video you watch the lights kind of bounce after crossing the creek bridge when hitting land again. That seems to have caused something weak to break.

[@qweqqweq2090]

waterways really suck. they can cause the ground all around it to sink over time due to softening the soil under the immense weight and pressure. if there's any salt or pH imbalance the track can also rust and fall apart faster than normal. there's uncommon combinations that can occur in such cases where one slightly inferior issue with a track that would normally never be a problem combines with the accelerated decay and causes a derail.

[@bobnelly2716]

Prior to the derail, that bridge was made of wood

[@chekyerego]

Catfish to his wife: You smell of alcohol.

[@Sal.A]

What's the loud squeak/slam sounds that you hear a few times? First one is at 0:52

[@Briansantiago11]

Air brake system releasing air from tanks. Periodically check valve for set air pressure

[@Mizzy260]

Looks similar to the one that just happened today😳

[@phillipbonner5215]

Well that was wonderful but what made it derail?

[@havoc3742]

Due to poor maintenance and upkeep, a rail broke and caused the cars to derail on the bridge, which in turn caused it to tumble off the narrow bridge and into the creek, followed by the other cars.

[@phillipbonner5215]

@@havoc3742 oops

[@TezcatlipocaMountyRailfan]

That engineer was probably like “Holy (Insert Desired Expletive), What Have I Done?”

[@realvanman1]

Hard to believe the cars would start separating BEFORE they derail. Alas perhaps I am being a bit to nitpicky... ;)

[@geronimo5537]

yeah that really confuses me unless they are being pushed up off the tracks.

[@ajo3085]

If the break in the rails is severe enough to cause a "bump" effect the couplers will break due to vertical pressure rather than horizontal then as they begin to slow the weight and momentum of the following cars cause the concertina effect that forces them off the tracks.

[@chrisnyburg1208]

How did you get the train in Google Earth? 1:48

[@lendmeu]

Did contamination enter river as it possibly demonstrates in contamination?

[@rickprusak9326]

Being a train buff, where does the train engineer go to use the rest room while traveling on the rails?

[@conanobrennan53]

usually a toilet/WC in the cab.

[@rickprusak9326]

@@conanobrennan53 Thanks for clearing up that mystery. In the locomotives that I have be in, I never saw a toilet or anything that could be used as a toilet, except a 5 gallon bucket in the corner of the cab. Thanks for the info.

[@conanobrennan53]

@@rickprusak9326 most North American locomotives (other than yard switchers) should have a toilet. I think it's required in union contracts to have one in head end locomotives. I know some of the Canadian locomotives are also required to have a hot plate in cab as well per union agreements.

[@rickprusak9326]

@@conanobrennan53 Thanks for answering my question. Ever since I was a little boy, I wondered how the guy's running the locomotives got to go to the bathroom? My thoughts back then were when the engineer had to answer mother nature's call - he just stopped the train and walked back to the caboose. Welp, when the caboose disappeared, now what? Thanks again for clearing up that mystery. Rail On.

[@conanobrennan53]

@Pissedoff Cow58 lmao, okay. I worked for a USA Class 1 railroad. You're just a dumb cow.

[@robertgift]

Cause of the derailment? 3:12 in locomotive video shows light from burning ethanol. Did the locomotive crew knowhathat was?

[@havoc3742]

Poor PM and old rail. the rail broke and caused the car to come off the bridge

[@dexterious006]

By the time they were done filling their pants, yes.

[@markmaki4460]

I'm sure they knew what the illumination event was after the sound (and presumably shock wave) hit them about 6 sec later.

[@marcosortega8398]

How di the craw Know tank cars fiying in the water

[@TheActualKingOfRailfanning]

3:08-3:14 you can see the light of the fire

[@JakeTheFurry04]

Trainz and msts logic

[@bBersZ]

Sounds like the explosion @ 1:22 ?

[@markmaki4460]

Yeah about 6 sec after the illumination event in the lead locomotive camera view, so just over a mile away at that point.

[@golemosworld15]

Who the hell wrote this description. It’s like someone trying to make sure their essay is a 1000 words.

[@stokerboiler]

My guess is a broken rail on the little bridge.

[@gracegriffin1734]

Fun fact I live in graettinger Iowa 🙋‍♀️

[@gracegriffin1734]

@Evan Hughley I was asleep when this all happend

[@gracegriffin1734]

@Evan Hughley ya lol

[@owl1873]

so what was the cause

[@HistoryForEveryoneProductions]

What wreck is this?

[@jonjon4321]

If you made these train's longer they'd never stop crashing...

[@mazohalopers7413]

Why did it happen? I don’t understand

[@KPearce57]

RAR1802" Google that for NTSB report, poor track maintenance, tie failure, track mis-alinement, results 17 Million in damages, no loss of life.

[@makemyday1477]

Dry riverbed under the failed section? Maybe support compromised?

[@robertgift]

Interesting thathe locomotives traveled over the rail problem but a lighter-weightank car derailed. How much weight did the locomotives impose on the rail? How much the tank cars?

[@R7300]

Likely it broke when the engines went over it and the first few cars made it over

[@ajo3085]

Metal fatigue can cause the rails to break and most likely that happens over a period of time and is just a matter of when it would let go, rather than because of a specific weight on it. My grandpa was a railwayman and he talked about seeing frozen rails "snap like twigs" due to the extreme cold but others can be like a stress fracture in a bone. The crack starts out very insignificantly but gradually gets to the point where it can't support the weight it is meant to bear and unfortunately for train crews, rails can't start complaining about "pain" like we would do about early stage stress fractures in our bones. 😊 The other issue (and what I believe happened here) is that poor maintenance can see the track bed settle and cause the rails and ties to "bounce" slightly as trains pass over them. Over time if they don't see maintenance the bounce gets worse and can cause the rails to snap or simply come loose from the ties.

[@DaTT78]

@@ajo3085 The "bounce" you refer to is called pumping, as an FYI

[@johnwright4890]

Interesting how the second pull of horn caused the air to break the line press for eberake

[@conanobrennan53]

the train breaking apart caused it. Horn is coincidental.

[@victoriacyunczyk]

Did the bridge cause the derailment?

[@BenjaminEsposti]

The derailment was caused by inadequate track maintenance. Google "RAR1802" to see the full report. The investigation found that UP did not adequately maintain the crossties, which led to one of the rails being overstressed as it was lacking enough support from underneath. The rail broke because of that, as the train was passing over, and the train cars then derailed. A quote from the report: "None of the following were factors in this accident: (1) the mechanical condition of the train to include the train’s braking system, (2) the performance of the train crew, (3) cell phone use by the train crew, (4) alcohol or other drugs by the train crew, and (5) the emergency response."

[@christinearmington]

Even at $17 million, UP probably deemed it a reasonable cost vs. the extra personnel costs to monitor the tracks. Seen it.

[@LostieTrekieTechie]

There are brakes on every carriage, right? The aft section detaching and derailing is less mass/momentum pushing the lead locomotive, but also less brakes, so would that have a significant impact on how fast it can slow down before the rail crossing?

[@krubokrobu]

I believe since there are brakes on every carriage, braking is about equally effective regardless of how many carriages are attached. The less mass should about cancel out the less brakes. (This is assuming all the carriages have a similar ratio of mass to braking power.)

[@lemkenation]

Every rail car has brakes at any point in the train consist brakes apart the whole train Goes into emergency

[@Halberdin]

(I have little knowledge about these operations, but this is about physics:) A long train must have around the same braking force distributed over its length (i.e. all carriages) in order to not derail due to distortions by the braking itself. Thus, for a brake system operated solely with compressed air, the brakes have to activate slowly, even in any emergency braking. Engineers at any position in the train can expedite this a little by opening additional valves. Also, goods carriages appear to have rather weak brakes to avoid sliding of the wheels. Passenger trains have more and better braking systems, especially multiple-units consists.

[@kibashisiyoto6771]

Each car has brakes, but the locomotive brakes are more effective than the freight car brakes. When the train separates, the brake line is broken and that reduces the air pressure in the train line, which triggers the triple valve on each railcar and locomotive to release air from each car's air reservoir into the brake cylinder on each car, applying the brakes. The air reservoir is split into two sections, the service portion is only used for a slight reduction in brake pipe pressure for normal train stopping, both the service and emergency portions are dumped into the brake cylinder if the drop in train line pressure is significant enough - indicating a break in the train line.

[@KeithHearnPlus]

If you read the description, it says the speed for the rear of the train is from the locomotive at the rear, so there was also that locomotive's braking contributing to the rear of the train stopping.

[@josecepeda2319]

Cajitas👍👍

[@asmrbaby-relaxingsounds5943]

No one got hurt

[@dirtydanman420]

Thomas flashback

[@danielkeirsteadsr6939]

A Tsunami of train cars.

[@griffinrails]

animation be lookin like super 8

[@yesnickcarter]

I was just thinking about how Super 8 looked exactly like this. A minute and a half of train cars flying through the air, chasing after the protagonists.

[@johnmark7361]

Searching Google earth for train animation.

[@TheBasstead1]

What causes the cars to derail at such slow speeds? Bad rails? Bad car chassis?

[@Crazcompart]

Nate Halstead - Exactly those factors... Proper maintenance costs money... Money these corporate slugs don't want to spend thanks to added pressure from investors! Everyone's in it strictly for gain, and they pull out at the first sign of monetary inconvenience!

[@bobnelly2716]

Especially on this specific line. There isn't enough train traffic across this line for then to profit by keeping this maintained unfortunately. There's a daily manifest train and an occasional unit train, but it's more or less a spur line

[@hgbugalou]

Detach the rear vehicle!

[@springws14lbss]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2q2fIiel96Vrs0

[@donetrainboi6031]

yea

[@floridianrailauto9032]

?

[@diamondglass7442]

nice train but uuhh the camera quality of the camera!

[@flipflopsguy8868]

"Okay, Who put their Thermos on the disconnect button" ?

[@davidhall8874]

How come there is snow in the picture on the right butno snow on the picture on the left? The one on the left looks fake to me.

[@nathanhoffman1792]

thats a sand bank on the creek. trust me i know as this is my parents property

[@RenataSantos-dr4jj]

Ho my god its real

[@josecepeda2319]

Asi fue el trenazo de tehuacan🚂🚃🚋

[@museumjunkie9317]

it might have been safer transported by pipeline. Just sayin

[@DoubleGoon]

Of course it was over a river

[@wkeil1981]

oof

[@RichManSCTV0]

Orange Man Faukt

[@defaultmesh]

big oof indeed

[@HarborSubHughley]

1:03

[@Halberdin]

More information: NTSB report: www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR1802.pdf www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/2017-graettinger-ia.aspx Accident site video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5esaq2FZbljiZo duckduckgo.com/?q=graettinger+derailment+site%3Antsb.gov&t=ftas&ia=web

[@catknox8302]

The train was going so fast it piled up

[@xxboonisbadfortnitexx1549]

Darn

[@MPRail]

We can H A N D L E it.

[@brianhenkel1886]

I’m guess bridge gave out do to too many cars on train length

[@whiteknightcat]

What?

[@BiggerdogZaBigDoggo]

Listen, I'm here 7 months too Late, but according to many other reply sections, it's because UP Didn't look after their Ties when inspecting the Line. Therefore, one of the ties gave way, the Rail fell out of Place, and the Train Derailed. Not because the Bridge Gave Way.

[@MeaHeaR]

OMG Đhîďđ Ťhâý Đéíđs ????????

[@attunedofficial]

Someone Breaking Bad

[@kennethmccann6402]

I see Creek bridge is weak structural.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Just more proof of why alcohol is bad. lol

[@thevideocamman5674]

Msts be like:

[@bulgingbattery2050]

Chas

[@mediosinformativosdelsuryn6134]

wao,,wao,,,wao,,waoooooooo,,,,,og,,og,,,oggg,,,,,ogggg

[@boog567]

Is this a joke?

[@rickbarnes6630]

dosen't look nat.

[@dirtydanman420]

Tankers are to dangerous with chemicals tho, I don't think tankers should be loaded with chemicals, what if the train derails that's to deadly and could kill a lot of people (this is my opinion its not based on the video)

[@andrewdking]

So what other inland transport method do you suggest which is safer. By rail is by far the most efficient and safest IF everything is well maintained. I would say the trains should be shorter in length, limiting the size of potential accidents.

[@TeimonKauppa739]

i made the worst port argyle railroad derailment

[@NicholasLittlejohn]

Freight RRs are cheapskates and don't do proper bridge maintenance

[@bhamgathering]

horrible