Experiments to derail trains - World War Two RailRoads & Spectacular Train Crash Documentary

In March 1944 the United States National Defense Resources Committee & Office of Strategic Services performed a number of experiments on the Claiborne-Polk military railroad to help determine the best way to derail trains. The results were presented in the film "Derailment".

The film discusses amount of explosive used, technique of making "gaps" in railroad track to overturn train. Uses filmographic techniques such as slow motion, reverse motion, and freeze frame to show effects of "gaps" and explosives on train and results of experiments. Illustrated arrows point to areas of train considered especially relevant to experiment. Narrator explains each type of explosive and reason for variations.

• Category

  Education

[doginstine]

Europe at that time used a different type of coupler than the US used? Or some of the cars used a two wheel truck rather than a US 4 wheel truck?

[wdtvlive42]

4 wheel (rigid frame / non-bogie) wagons were common in Europe during this period, far outnumbering bogie wagons.

US style auto couplers were also rare, hook and/or screw link couplers being the norm.

[PerryDaPlatapus]

World War Mythbusters

[sherman harmon]

And my mom said putting a penny on the track would cause problems.

[pennywise000]

CONCLUSION: we can remove every second 30-inch piece of rail to save metal and trains will still be able to drive on it safely!

[hitensini33]

Rg46lq

[nutbagbrew102]

but it could be seen by the engineer in time - at night maybe not

[Calmarius]

A simple iron device called "derail" can do the trick, an can be installed on the rail in no time.

[MachetePanda]

What an annoying video! Someone had ti sit through all that just to find out all the methods that DONT work. Waste of time. BTW you have better luck removing the pins from a series of 7-8 ties, the weight of the cars will typically fall through pushing the ties out AND missing pins are not as noticed by the engineer as a large fucking hole! lol

[jwka2001]

7:10 dude hawks a good loogie

[RebelSonBand]

I tried with a coin to see if it would be flattened...It was.. And rocks too,and youre righr it never came close never...

[frozenbadgrrl]

fuck you. I'm a train.