Transportation
Before Ohio Derailment, Train Wheel Overheated and a Sensor Failed
- Temperature was recorded at 253 degrees above ambient levels
- Crew applied brakes too late to prevent Feb. 3 derailment
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A wheel on the Norfolk Southern Corp. train that derailed earlier this month in Ohio was too hot in the moments before the accident, and crew members weren’t alerted to the problem in time, according to initial findings by US investigators.
While sensors detected rising temperatures, a warning didn’t sound until the wheel bearing was 253 degrees hotter than expected, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday in its preliminary report. As crew members attempted to apply the brakes, the component failed, sending the train off its tracks and spilling toxic chemicals across the land.