TFA indicates a 40cm gap — huge!

buildbot 7 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I suppose that counts/was caused by a fracture but almost a half meter of gap in the track is nuts. Like describing a limb that’s totally removed as a bone fracture.

Though conceivably the break was very small and a train impacting the slightly lifted rail just caused a good chunk of it to explode.

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WarOnPrivacy 7 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> Though conceivably the break was very small and a train impacting the slightly lifted rail just caused a good chunk of it to explode.

The crown (top) of the rail seems to be missing after the gap. The crown-less section then continues ~3 meters before it disappears behind the investigator on the left. IDK what that might indicate.

ref pic: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/ecb4/live/53924...

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zidel 7 hours ago | parent [-]

The rail is laying on its side in that picture, so what is visible is the foot not the web.

edit: other angles of the same location here: https://youtu.be/DIQ4SrGSua0?t=1174

	▲	WarOnPrivacy 15 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		> The rail is laying on its side in that picture Ah, I see it now. The marks from contact with the ties should have clued me in earlier.

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kgwgk 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Yes, the “fracture” (the problem was actually at a joint) was there for a while. The missing segment of rail was still there when the train arrived - the derailment affected only the last cars.

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ThePowerOfFuet 7 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

No, that gap was created after the rail broke and the train derailed as a result.

The crack was in the weld, causing one side to sink and the wheel to hit the start of the next section of rail which was no longer welded to it, causing stress fractures to form in the rail which later caused that 40cm piece to break off.