Sun Apr 25, 2021: How the 1946 disaster in Naperville resulted in limits being placed on train speeds
It's the signalling system.
How the 1946 disaster in Naperville resulted in limits being placed on train speeds
By RAFAEL GUERRERO
NAPERVILLE SUN | APR 24, 2021 AT 8:39 AM
When one passenger train slammed into the back of another in Naperville 75 years ago, the impact was felt throughout the U.S. rail system. ... “At the time, the railroads set their own speeds. Here in Naperville, I think it was about 90 mph,” said Jim Christen, a Naperville resident who contributed much of the technical research in Chuck Spinner’s 2012 book “The Tragedy at the Loomis Street Crossing.”
The Advance Flyer was westbound when it left Union Station in Chicago at 12:35 p.m. April 25, 1946, followed by the Exposition Flyer, which would lag behind two or three minutes on the same track. Reports indicate both trains were running at speeds between 80 and 85 mph.
Two trains, one tragedy: Remembering the deadly wreck that shook Naperville 75 years ago »
When the Advance Flyer was forced to stop in Naperville because of a mechanical issue, caution signals were the only things alerting the second locomotive’s engineer that there was a problem ahead. ... “He came around that curve at around 85 mph,” Christen said. “He closed the gap between the yellow signal by the golf course ... but he didn’t slow down enough. The impact here was at about 45 mph.” ... Because of the Naperville disaster and another crash, a cap of 79 mph would be placed on passenger trains, Christen said.
Timothy Hicks, lead mechanical engineer for Lisle-based accident investigation firm Professional Analysis, said the 1951 mandate permits trains to exceed 79 mph only if automatic train stop equipment is in place, such as automatic cab signals, automatic train stops or automatic train control systems.
Metra and Amtrak trains, for example, are limited to 60 mph and speed limits are slower for freight trains, Hicks said.* However, some high-speed passenger trains do exist, such as Amtrak’s Acela Express, which runs 150 mph at some points between Washington, D.C., and Boston.
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raguerrero@tribpub.com
* This is a misleading quote. I'm sure Hicks was referring to a specific district, not Amtrka's operations systemwide.
Amtrak trains generally run at 79 mph outside the Northeast Corridor and faster than that within the Northeast Corridor. Depending on the class of track, mainline freight trains in the US are limited to 60 mph by FRA regulations.
I had expected that the article would have been updated with a correction, but a year later, it has not been.
= new reply since forum marked as read