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8 June 2008

Wheels Unlikely Cause of Hat Derailment


 
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) recently said 43,000 wheel sets used by Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) "have a high susceptibility to loosen" and should be replaced, however a CPR representative stated the issue is most likely resolved.
 
The wheel sets in question were assembled between April 1998 and February 2001 by Canadian National Transcona. Mike Lovecchio, spokesperson for CPR, said in November 2001 they received an industry advisory saying they may have some defective wheel sets. CPR conducted the prescribed inspections and replaced a number of defected wheel sets.
 
In January 2006, there was a derailment of a CPR train near Buckskin, Ont., which prompted the (TSB) investigation. At the time, CPR suspected there were more wheel defects beyond the 2001 advisory, so they inspected the entire class of cars and replaced more wheel sets.
 
"At this point, we believe that none of those wheel sets would remain in service simply because even they were missed in the first and subsequent inspections, given the date of manufacture it's unlikely that they still exist. They would have been replaced by routine and preventative maintenance," said Lovecchio on Thursday.
 
On 5 Apr 2008, two engines of a westbound Canadian Pacific train skidded off the rails in downtown Medicine Hat. Lovecchio didn't know the circumstances of the incident, but said "it would be extremely unlikely that they were related (with the wheel set defects).
 
"CP has a very active maintenance program. We have been North America's safest railway for six of the last seven years. We have seen a 73 percent decline in accidents in the last decade."
 
 
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