Locomotives at rear of train are a bad idea

Published 1:30 am Sunday, January 6, 2019

It has been over a year since the Amtrak rail disaster near Dupont. Aerial examination reveals locomotives on both ends of the train. The train segment in the freeway was derailed and pushed by the vast momentum of the rear locomotive. They do this configuration to avoid the necessity of turntables. It’s not safe.

Conclusion: Passenger trains should not pull massive locomotives coupled in the rear of a line of cars due to potential dynamic instability, which can greatly enhance the possibility of derailment. And that is just one of several reasons I will no longer ride Amtrak.

Daniel Palmer

Lynnwood