Eighteen of the 36 occupants of the day coach were killed. An inquiry concluded that a \"railroader culture\", which prized loyalty and productivity at the expense of safety, had resulted in a tired and sick crew of three failing to stop the freight train.Subscribe to WONDER to watch more documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/WonderDocsMayday: Experts analyze various plane crashes with an aim to figure out how these disasters occurred. 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. It was the most lethal Canadian rail disaster since the Dugald accident of 1947. Engineers Mike Peleshaty, age 57, and Emil Miller, age 53, were in the lead locomotive. This train collision has somewhat haunted me since I saw a special on it on TV a while back. A commission of inquiry investigated the crash. The observation dome car behind the day coach suffered serious damage and was also hit by a freight car. Im just lucky that my job is not life-threatening without focus but of course it affects the quality of work. This was to prevent the train from going into an automatic emergency brake if the engineer fell asleep briefly. Twenty-three . . A two-light signal 13,600 feet (4.15 kilometres) east of Dalehurst showed yellow over red (meaning prepare to stop at the next signal). Composition of the Canadian National (CN) Railway Train. Wayne Smith Jr., 38, died Feb. 2 after a car chase with deputies ended in a crash. More will be coming up soon so stay tuned. However, Smith, who appeared to be nervous while testifying, said that he did not feel that the freight was ever out of control, misjudging its velocity. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinton_train_collision, Image from the accident: http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/alberta/2011/02/07/17184331.html. The inquiry eventually concluded that the CN employees ignored signals to stop and failed to follow established railway operating rules. It also condemned CNs railroader culture that ignored safety regulations, which were beefed up in the aftermath of the crash. 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. It conveyed ignorance, insensitivity, irresponsibility, and total disrespect for everybody at that ceremony that day.". Even were Smith's testimony true, he apparently did not consider the problem sufficiently serious to stop the train, a second misjudgment. On the morning of February 8th, 1986, a VIA passenger train collided with Canadian National Railway freight train, killing 23 people in total. Management claimed to be unaware of this practice, even though it was quite common. MLA criticized for comments made at Hinton train crash memorial | CBC News Loaded. "It was an opportunity for political grandstanding. Jasper is a railroad town first and foremost. The two sleepers following the dome car derailed and were thrown on their sides. "I would like to apologize for comments delivered on my behalf on Feb. 8," the statement said. You didnt know what was going on, but theres always hope that it wasnt as bad as you thought and everybody would survive, but she said trailing off. The two sleepers following the dome car derailed and were thrown on their sides. The whole community was affected, said Shevalier. The freight still did not slow down, instead jumping the switch and entering the section of single track occupied by the Super Continental. At the time there was a single track in this location that resulted in two trains travelling in the opposite direction being on a collision course. On the caboose, conductor Wayne "Smitty" Smith, aged 33. The Hinton train crash occurred near this location at 8:40 a.m. on February 8, 1986. The others were able to escape either through a broken window in the dome or through the hole left by the freight car. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Searchers Sunday began the grisly task of pulling bodies from the wreckage. Fast asleep in her bed, the 19-year-old was woken by her younger brother shortly before 9 a.m. with news that changed their lives forever. In the caboose was conductor Wayne "Smitty" Smith, aged 33.c. The fuel tanks of one of the locomotives exploded into flames on impact. A steam generator was coupled to the end of the train at Jasper for transfer to Edmonton depot for maintenance. It did not slow down after passing the signal. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. One of its occupants was killed. Wikipedia also ha information with respect to the crash. The Hinton train collision was a railway accident that occurred on February 8, 1986. 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. However, enough of their remains were found that testing was able to rule out drugs or alcohol as the cause. you know that you were only three hours west of edmonton, right? The accident took place on a stretch of Canadian National Railway's transcontinental main line near the Town of Hinton, west of Edmonton. The front section, which had originated in Vancouver, consisted of two locomotives and five cars while the second (rear) section from Prince Rupert was led by one locomotive and five cars. 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. Has it seriously been 6 years?? This is a re-upload due to a copyright claim which resulted in a block. 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. A two-light signal 13,600 feet (4.15 kilometres) east of Dalehurst showed yellow over red (meaning prepare to stop at the next signal). My Dutch Cargo Bike Stolen & Recovered in Less Than 10 Minutes, 2. 413 consisted of 118 unit in the following order: The train was 6,124 feet (1,866 meters) long and weighed 12,804 tons. Had the sulphur cars, for instance, been at the front of the train, the death toll might have been higher. A clip from the National Geographic series 'Crash Scene Investigation' or 'Mayday', from the episode 'Head-On Collision'. Smith should have been charged, but agree he was a secondary cause. Shevaliers daughter, who is 14 years old, laid a red rose in honour of the grandfather she never met. However, enough of their remains were found that testing was able to rule out drugs or alcohol as the cause. The report also highlighted serious flaws in the culture and safety practices at Canadian National Railway. The observation dome car behind the day coach suffered serious damage and was also hit by a freight car. A commission of inquiry investigated the crash. As the train approached this signal, it was already going full throttle at 59 miles per hour (96 km/h), faster than the 50 mile per hour limit on this stretch of track. In the dome car, others were able to escape either through a window in the dome that had been broken by passengers, or through the hole left by the freight car. Template:Unreferenced section Accident victims are forced to deal with hospitalization, medical treatments, missed work, and lost income, often while trying to manage pain . It was uncertain whether the pedal had been bypassed in this case because the lead locomotive of the train had been destroyed. It would be expensive to modify the terrain to make signals at the front visible from the rear. Peleshaty was one of 23 people who lost their lives that day in an accident that remains one of Canadas worst rail disasters in history. 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. When she heard that, Shevalier said she "saw red. [1] At 8:29am, as the Super Continental approached the start of the double track section, the dispatcher from the CTC lined the dual-control switch at Dalehurst to the south track. Another frequently ignored safety regulation mentioned in the report was the "deadman's pedal", which a locomotive engineer had to keep depressed for the train to remain underway. The train crash, even though thats how he died, its not how we choose to remember him.. Highway Patrol said the driver, Wayne Keith Smith, Jr., 38, of Campobello, was fleeing from Polk County deputies when the vehicle ran off the left side of the road and struck a tree. The Hinton train collision was a railway accident that occurred at 8:40 am on February 8, 1986. Twenty-three people were killed in a collision between a Canadian National Railway freight train and a Via Rail passenger train. Laid out on the table were dozens of newspaper clippings about the accident and pictures of those who lost their lives. This also set the double-aspect approach signal located 13,600 feet (4.1km) east of Dalehurst to yellow over red, telling the freight train to reduce its speed to 30 miles per hour (48km/h) and to prepare to stop at Dalehurst. 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. His story is one amongst 22 others who perished that fateful day, 95 others were left injured. Appathy. One family is asking for answers about their son's death. It was 6,124 feet (1,867m) long and weighed 12,804 short tons (11,432 long tons; 11,616t). 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". If you have worked at CN, you would know it is management, union culture and enforcement issues. The death toll remained uncertain because authorities could not determine how many passengers were aboard the Via Rail passenger train that hit a 114-car freight Saturday near Hinton, 170 miles west of Edmonton, in one of the worst rail disasters in Canadian history. Hinton Rail Crash - 1986 - Hinton, Alberta - Railway Disaster Sites on Waymarking.com. February 1986: A collision between a Via rail passenger train and a CN freight train kills 23 people and injures 95 near Hinton, Alta., 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. He was very involved in the community, said Shevalier. The Canadian National (CN) Railway's westbound train No. Hola, Amigos! 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