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Author
National Transportation Safety Board
Title
Safety Recommendation R-71-38.
Coporate
National Transportation Safety Board, Washington, DC
Report
R-71-38, December 27, 1971, 5 p.
Keywords
railroad accidents | explosions | vinyl chloride | injuries
Abstract
The National Transportation Safety Board issues the following information and warning as an advisory, pending the completion of the investigation and further analysis of the facts and circumstances of the derailment of Missouri Pacific Railroad Company Freight Train No. 94 at Houston, Texas, on October 19, 1971. This freight train derailed at Houston, Texas. As the result, 16 cars piled up in the general derailment area. Included were six tank carloads of vinyl chloride, three of fuel oil, one each of acetone, butadiene, and formaldehyde. Vinyl chloride, which escaped from a damaged 48,000-gallon tank car, ignited immediately following the initial derailment.