The Big Bayou Conot train disaster of September 22, 1993, is the worst disaster in the history of United States railroad company Amtrak. September 22 is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years). ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Amtrak is the trademark name of the intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. ...

The accident occurred with the collapse of a bridge over the Big Bayou Conot in southwestern Alabama (about 20 miles NW of Mobile, Alabama). When the scheduled Sunset Limited passenger train reached the bridge, it plunged into the water. Forty-seven people were killed, many by drowning, others by fire. A bayou (pronounced or ) is a small, slow-moving stream or creek formed in the former bed of a river. ... State nickname: Camellia State, The Heart of Dixie¹, Yellowhammer State Other U.S. States Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Governor Bob Riley (R) Official languages English Area 84,360 mi²/135,765 km² (30th)  - Land 81,664 mi²/131,426 km²  - Water 2,696 mi²/4,338 km² (3. ... Mobile and Mobile Bay from space, June 1991 Mobile (pronounced mo-BEEL) is a city located in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. ... Amtraks Sunset Limited is a 68-hour railroad route that connects Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles, California. ... A large bonfire Fire is a form of combustion. ...

The cause of the accident was determined to be a push-boat, the Mauvilla, pushing several barges which collided with the bridge a short time before the disaster, displacing the tracks on the bridge. The continuously welded rails did not break thus preventing automatic switching of stop lights. Self propelled barge carrying bulk crushed stone A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. ...

Analysis

A documentary on the National Geographic Channel, Seconds From Disaster, examined this accident in detail. Corporate logo of National Geographic Channel. ... Logo of the documentary Seconds from Disaster Seconds From Disaster is a documentary that investigates the worst man-made disasters in modern history, and analyzes the causes and events that led up to each disaster. ...

• Although there were signals on the line operated by track circuits, the long welded rails did not break and put the signals to red. Paradoxically, had old-fashioned jointed rail still been fitted, the signals might well have been put to red, as such rails would more likely have broken at the block joints.

• One span of the bridge was pushed so far out of position that the kink in the line caused the derailment. The span was not fitted with "straps" to keep it in reasonable alignment with other spans of the bridge. Had such straps been fitted, the kink in the line might have been less severe and less dangerous.

• The span had actually been designed to rotate so that the bridge could be converted to a swing bridge by simply adding a motor and control equipment, if it was ever decided that boat traffic warranted this. No such conversion had ever been done and the span's lack of rigidity had been forgotten.

• As barge traffic posed a regular hazard, special barge collision detection circuits could have been fitted to put the signals to red in case of a collision.

• Perhaps the bridge piers could have been protected by sacrificial piers.

• It is likely that the size and number of barges pushed by one tug had increased over time in excess of what the bridge could handle in a collision.

A track circuit is a simple electric device to detect the presence of trains on the track, which can be used to inform the signalmen, and to control the relevant signals. ... Railway swing bridge A swing bridge is a bridge that has its primary structural support at or near to its center, about which it can then pivot horizontally. ...

Similar accidents

• The NTSB reported about 27 similar incidents involving bridge collisions.

• December 24, 1953, Tangiwai disaster, New Zealand: 151 die when a bridge over the Whangaehu River collapses. Trip wires now put the signals to red if the river level rises too high.

• The Granville train disaster of 1977 involved a bridge collapse caused in part by inadequately protected and strapped piers and spans. Program to protect piers of other bridges instituted.

• The Eschede train disaster, as seen on National Geographic cable TV, had flimsy piers like the Granville accident. Bridge design did not learn from earlier Granville train disaster.

• In New South Wales, a number of locations are fitted with landslip detectors that put the signals to red if a landslip is detected.