Authors: U.S. National Transportation Safety Board

Date of Publication:  October 1992

Sponsoring Agency:  U.S. National Transportation Safety Board

Performing Organization:  U.S. National Transportation Safety Board

Report No: NTSB/SS-92/04

Abstract:

In 1990, the Safety Board investigated three major accidents involving collisions and derailments of locomotives that resulted in diesel fuel fires from ruptured locomotive fuel tanks. Seven crewmembers fatally injured in these accidents suffered extensive burns and smoke inhalation. These accidents heightened the Safety Board’s concern about the potential for diesel fuel fires in railroad accidents to fatally injure trapped crewmembers, consume cargo, contribute to hazardous materials fires in the train, and endanger nonrailroad property near the accident site. Because of this heightened concern, the Safety Board initiated a study of this subject.

The safety issues discussed in this study are:

• the adequacy of the current design of the locomotive fuel tank;
• the factors that affect the current design of locomotive fuel tanks; and
• the sufficiency of research to improve the integrity of fuel tanks or to improve fuel containment.

No. of Pages:  68