1
00:00:07,248 --> 00:00:09,492
A freight train
is out of control.
2
00:00:09,595 --> 00:00:13,668
- Get on the phone.
Tell 'em we got a runaway train.
- 7551 to [indistinct]!
3
00:00:13,772 --> 00:00:16,982
Its brakes can't hold it
as it rockets down a mountain.
4
00:00:17,086 --> 00:00:21,745
Mayday! Mayday!
We're doing 90 mph! 9-0!
5
00:00:23,644 --> 00:00:28,235
Now thousands of tons of steel
and freight are heading
straight for a small town.
6
00:00:33,757 --> 00:00:35,518
We're gonna die
on that curve!
7
00:00:37,416 --> 00:00:40,212
An innocent mistake risks
the lives of everyone onboard,
8
00:00:40,316 --> 00:00:42,628
and many more in the town below.
9
00:00:45,493 --> 00:00:48,634
- 3,000?
- We're not getting any oxygen!
10
00:00:48,738 --> 00:00:51,016
We have the terrain alarm.
11
00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,708
- Aero Peru 603...
- We are in an emergency.
12
00:01:09,828 --> 00:01:11,933
San Bernardino,
California.
13
00:01:12,727 --> 00:01:16,145
A quiet suburban town
at the foot
of the San Gabriel Mountains.
14
00:01:19,458 --> 00:01:21,426
It's a great place
to raise a family,
15
00:01:21,529 --> 00:01:25,706
in between the emptiness
of the Mojave Desert
and the bustle of Los Angeles.
16
00:01:27,639 --> 00:01:31,091
When we had problems
in the neighbourhood,
we could go to one another.
17
00:01:31,194 --> 00:01:33,955
And... it was a very nice
neighbourhood.
18
00:01:35,647 --> 00:01:40,065
But in 1989, San Bernardino
is rocked by two disasters.
19
00:01:40,169 --> 00:01:42,274
Six people are killed,
20
00:01:42,378 --> 00:01:44,794
18 houses
are completely destroyed.
21
00:01:46,623 --> 00:01:49,247
It begins
with an out-of-control train.
22
00:01:49,350 --> 00:01:51,076
Sixty!
23
00:01:51,180 --> 00:01:53,320
Seventy! Eighty!
24
00:01:56,806 --> 00:01:58,842
And ends with a raging fire.
25
00:01:58,946 --> 00:02:03,123
You could see a huge cloud
of black smoke in the air.
26
00:02:03,226 --> 00:02:05,642
The scene looked
like Dante's Inferno.
27
00:02:06,574 --> 00:02:08,576
The disasters appear linked,
28
00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,165
but they happened
more than a week apart.
29
00:02:11,269 --> 00:02:14,582
Investigators comb
through the wreckage
to find the hidden connection.
30
00:02:15,790 --> 00:02:18,517
Help! Somebody help me!
31
00:02:18,621 --> 00:02:21,106
They uncover a series
of shocking decisions,
32
00:02:21,210 --> 00:02:24,213
which have deadly consequences
for some,
33
00:02:24,316 --> 00:02:26,491
and scar a town forever.
34
00:02:34,533 --> 00:02:37,398
Early morning, May 12, 1989.
35
00:02:37,502 --> 00:02:40,263
On a railroad siding
in the desert,
36
00:02:40,367 --> 00:02:44,336
a freight train waits
to head up over California's
San Gabriel Mountains.
37
00:02:45,924 --> 00:02:47,615
Frank Holland
is the chief engineer
38
00:02:47,719 --> 00:02:51,378
for Southern Pacific
freight train number 7551 East.
39
00:02:52,862 --> 00:02:56,348
My job as an engineer
is to get on the train,
40
00:02:56,452 --> 00:02:58,350
operate the locomotives,
41
00:02:58,454 --> 00:03:01,698
um... obey the rules, speeds,
42
00:03:01,802 --> 00:03:03,355
slow down and restrictions,
43
00:03:03,459 --> 00:03:05,737
and get the train
from point A to point B.
44
00:03:09,672 --> 00:03:14,435
His work on this trip
actually began the night
before, at the Mojave Rail
Yard.
45
00:03:14,539 --> 00:03:17,783
Some of Southern Pacific's
freight trains
are put together here,
46
00:03:17,887 --> 00:03:21,270
picking up crews and engines
to take them across the
country.
47
00:03:22,374 --> 00:03:25,722
Holland is here
to collect the paperwork
he'll need for the journey.
48
00:03:26,861 --> 00:03:28,794
Hey, Frank.
49
00:03:28,898 --> 00:03:30,451
Hey.
50
00:03:30,555 --> 00:03:33,351
Holland was promoted
to chief engineer
three years before.
51
00:03:33,454 --> 00:03:36,630
Okay... clearance form,
52
00:03:36,733 --> 00:03:40,323
train orders, train list
and a tonnage profile.
53
00:03:42,843 --> 00:03:46,571
His paperwork tells him
he's hauling 69 freight cars,
54
00:03:46,674 --> 00:03:50,609
each one weighing 54,431 kilos.
55
00:03:50,713 --> 00:03:54,993
Holland also learns
that the cars are all filled
with the same thing: trona.
56
00:03:55,787 --> 00:03:58,410
It's a non-toxic chemical
used in fertilizer.
57
00:04:00,585 --> 00:04:03,726
So you start
making your calculations
58
00:04:03,829 --> 00:04:06,556
on what kind of horsepower
you're gonna have to have
59
00:04:06,660 --> 00:04:08,455
to take that train
down that hill,
60
00:04:08,558 --> 00:04:11,251
and that will tell you
at what speed you can go.
61
00:04:11,354 --> 00:04:12,700
Thanks.
62
00:04:12,804 --> 00:04:14,564
Have a good one.
63
00:04:14,668 --> 00:04:17,947
All together,
Holland's paperwork tells him
he's hauling
64
00:04:18,050 --> 00:04:21,433
more than 3.5 million kilos
of cargo -
65
00:04:21,537 --> 00:04:23,470
more than 10 jumbo jets.
66
00:04:25,679 --> 00:04:28,509
The cargo's final destination
is South America.
67
00:04:29,027 --> 00:04:32,479
Today,
Holland's only taking it as far
as the West Colton Terminal,
68
00:04:32,582 --> 00:04:34,066
near Los Angeles.
69
00:04:34,550 --> 00:04:36,414
To do that
he'll have to haul the cargo
70
00:04:36,517 --> 00:04:40,038
up the San Gabriel Mountains
and through the Cajon Pass.
71
00:04:40,797 --> 00:04:44,663
Then he'll carefully slow
his huge train as it winds down
the mountain.
72
00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,360
Okay, guys,
we're going down to West Colton.
We got 69 cars,
73
00:04:51,463 --> 00:04:52,809
filled with... trona.
74
00:04:52,913 --> 00:04:55,916
Everett Crown is the conductor
of 7551.
75
00:04:56,606 --> 00:04:59,195
He'll sit up in the front engine
to assist Holland.
76
00:04:59,989 --> 00:05:03,855
Allan Reiss is the brakeman
this morning.
He'll ride two engines back.
77
00:05:04,856 --> 00:05:08,342
Between them,
the three men have
almost 50 years of experience
78
00:05:08,446 --> 00:05:10,137
working the trains
with Southern Pacific.
79
00:05:17,869 --> 00:05:21,769
To make sure he has enough power
to move his train
up and down the mountain,
80
00:05:21,873 --> 00:05:24,324
Holland has asked
for a little assistance.
81
00:05:25,946 --> 00:05:29,087
Southern Pacific dispatchers
send him two helper engines.
82
00:05:31,089 --> 00:05:33,954
Lawrence Hill is the engineer
at the back.
83
00:05:34,679 --> 00:05:36,750
Robert Waterbury
is his brakeman.
84
00:05:38,372 --> 00:05:40,443
While they've run this route
before,
85
00:05:40,547 --> 00:05:42,756
it's not where
they normally work.
86
00:05:42,859 --> 00:05:46,276
They don't know
the weight of the cargo
they're helping to haul.
87
00:05:46,380 --> 00:05:47,830
And they don't ask.
88
00:05:50,833 --> 00:05:55,424
7551 East now has four engines
up front and two behind.
89
00:05:56,701 --> 00:06:00,049
With the last two in place,
the train is all set to go.
90
00:06:00,152 --> 00:06:02,016
Helper calling head end.
91
00:06:03,570 --> 00:06:06,711
- Head end.
- Coupled and... ready to go.
92
00:06:06,814 --> 00:06:08,264
Roger that.
93
00:06:32,461 --> 00:06:35,429
7551 East
slowly gathers steam.
94
00:06:36,257 --> 00:06:39,399
In just an hour and a half,
it'll reach the top
of the mountains,
95
00:06:39,502 --> 00:06:42,194
the 1,300-metre-high Cajon Pass.
96
00:06:52,895 --> 00:06:54,655
Helper to head end.
97
00:06:54,759 --> 00:06:57,209
- Head end.
- We've cleared the siding.
98
00:06:57,313 --> 00:06:58,590
Thank you.
99
00:07:10,533 --> 00:07:12,259
On the other side
of the mountains,
100
00:07:12,362 --> 00:07:15,365
the town of San Bernardino
is slowly coming to life.
101
00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,444
The Muscoy section
is a fairly new development
102
00:07:24,547 --> 00:07:26,618
on the northwestern edge
of the town.
103
00:07:27,481 --> 00:07:31,209
It's filled
with single-storey homes
and growing families.
104
00:07:36,939 --> 00:07:40,977
Christopher Shaw is waking up
at 2326 Duffy Street.
105
00:07:41,219 --> 00:07:42,841
It's his mother's house,
106
00:07:42,945 --> 00:07:45,913
but after a fight
with his girlfriend,
he'd spent the night.
107
00:07:48,502 --> 00:07:50,228
Across the street,
108
00:07:50,331 --> 00:07:54,301
Ruth Green has succeeded
in getting three children
out of bed and off to school.
109
00:07:54,404 --> 00:07:56,821
Her only daughter, Lavon,
is staying home.
110
00:07:57,684 --> 00:07:59,340
It's just my daughter and I,
111
00:07:59,444 --> 00:08:03,275
and we're just making ready
for what we considered
a normal morning.
112
00:08:03,759 --> 00:08:07,314
We had had our breakfast
and were straightening up
in the kitchen.
113
00:08:08,453 --> 00:08:10,351
One of the only things
people don't like
114
00:08:10,455 --> 00:08:13,562
about this part
of San Bernardino
is the train tracks.
115
00:08:14,390 --> 00:08:17,358
Trains race by on top
of a six-metre-high levee.
116
00:08:18,428 --> 00:08:21,708
Some of the houses on Duffy St.
back right up to the tracks.
117
00:08:22,363 --> 00:08:25,781
When the homes
went up for sale,
118
00:08:25,884 --> 00:08:28,784
the realtor was showing
my husband a home
119
00:08:28,887 --> 00:08:32,028
that was on the same side
of the street as the tracks.
120
00:08:32,270 --> 00:08:36,516
The tracks would've been behind
our home. And he said no,
he didn't want that.
121
00:08:41,451 --> 00:08:43,626
Just after 7:00 a.m.,
122
00:08:43,730 --> 00:08:48,217
7551 East reaches
the highest point of its trip,
the Cajon Pass.
123
00:08:49,045 --> 00:08:50,806
It's all downhill from here.
124
00:08:55,949 --> 00:09:00,091
The pass is a vital rail link
between Los Angeles
and the rest of the world.
125
00:09:00,885 --> 00:09:04,302
It's one of only three ways
to get through the mountains.
126
00:09:04,405 --> 00:09:06,994
Dozens of trains
rumble through here every day.
127
00:09:07,857 --> 00:09:10,204
Traditionally in railroading,
128
00:09:10,308 --> 00:09:12,724
mountain railroaders
are respected...
129
00:09:12,828 --> 00:09:15,658
as the big guys, the tough guys.
130
00:09:15,762 --> 00:09:18,730
Because they have
the most demanding job.
131
00:09:19,317 --> 00:09:23,355
Cajon Pass is one
of the toughest mountain passes
132
00:09:23,459 --> 00:09:27,083
for railroaders to deal with
in the entire United States.
133
00:09:27,290 --> 00:09:29,120
So many trains go over it,
134
00:09:29,327 --> 00:09:31,778
and it is extremely demanding,
135
00:09:31,881 --> 00:09:37,266
that everyone has to be
on their toes 100% all the time.
136
00:09:40,752 --> 00:09:42,582
- No chance.
- No?
- No.
137
00:09:42,685 --> 00:09:47,621
Engineer Frank Holland
and Conductor Everett Crown
have the train right on time.
138
00:09:49,968 --> 00:09:52,488
There hasn't been
any communication
between the men at the front
139
00:09:52,592 --> 00:09:55,767
and the two men at the back
of the train
since the trip began.
140
00:09:55,871 --> 00:09:57,458
There's been no need.
141
00:09:57,562 --> 00:09:59,737
Everything's running smoothly.
142
00:10:00,738 --> 00:10:03,672
Now comes the most critical part
of the journey:
143
00:10:03,775 --> 00:10:06,916
slowing the massive train
as it starts down the mountain.
144
00:10:07,020 --> 00:10:11,231
What we do when we run
a train from...
145
00:10:11,334 --> 00:10:14,786
the Mohave area to Colton
146
00:10:14,890 --> 00:10:17,582
is basically we drive it
off a cliff.
147
00:10:17,686 --> 00:10:19,135
At that point,
148
00:10:19,377 --> 00:10:21,310
the track tips over,
149
00:10:21,413 --> 00:10:25,314
and goes downhill
at a very steep grade:
150
00:10:25,417 --> 00:10:26,971
2.2%.
151
00:10:27,074 --> 00:10:28,593
And for trains,
152
00:10:28,697 --> 00:10:32,597
2.2 feet down in every 100 feet
153
00:10:32,701 --> 00:10:34,772
is like falling off a cliff.
154
00:10:37,844 --> 00:10:41,019
As 7551 East
begins heading downhill,
155
00:10:41,123 --> 00:10:43,884
the crews still believe
it's a normal run.
156
00:10:43,988 --> 00:10:48,371
What they don't know
is that their train
is already out of control
157
00:10:48,475 --> 00:10:50,753
and they have no way
to slow it down.
158
00:10:56,034 --> 00:10:57,760
May 12, 1989.
159
00:10:57,864 --> 00:10:59,900
Just after 7:00 in the morning,
160
00:11:00,004 --> 00:11:05,354
Southern Pacific freight train
7551 East begins
the long, slow descent
161
00:11:05,457 --> 00:11:07,908
from the top
of the San Gabriel mountains.
162
00:11:08,012 --> 00:11:12,016
The massive train is hauling
69 cars full of freight.
163
00:11:13,845 --> 00:11:15,605
At the bottom of the hill,
164
00:11:15,709 --> 00:11:18,781
the sleepy town
of San Bernardino, California.
165
00:11:20,645 --> 00:11:22,923
As the tracks
start dipping downhill,
166
00:11:23,027 --> 00:11:26,168
Engineer Frank Holland
first applies
his dynamic brakes.
167
00:11:27,134 --> 00:11:29,343
They slow each
of the six engines,
168
00:11:29,447 --> 00:11:31,691
reducing the speed
of the entire train.
169
00:11:32,588 --> 00:11:35,764
He's only allowed to go 48 km/h
through the pass.
170
00:11:36,557 --> 00:11:38,249
He checks in with Lawrence Hill,
171
00:11:38,490 --> 00:11:40,700
the engineer
in the helper engine
at the back of the train,
172
00:11:40,803 --> 00:11:43,047
to make sure
he can maintain his speed.
173
00:11:44,117 --> 00:11:45,912
Calling the helper.
174
00:11:48,535 --> 00:11:51,020
- This is the helper.
- You got all your dynamics?
175
00:11:51,952 --> 00:11:53,713
Yeah, I'm in full.
176
00:11:53,816 --> 00:11:55,162
Roger that.
177
00:12:00,685 --> 00:12:05,759
The first part
of the downhill run
twists back and forth 56 times.
178
00:12:05,863 --> 00:12:09,245
The friction from the turns
helps slow the mammoth train.
179
00:12:12,593 --> 00:12:15,873
Even with the turns,
Holland starts applying
his air brakes.
180
00:12:16,839 --> 00:12:19,669
They put pressure on the wheels
of each freight car.
181
00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,949
The train is now travelling
at 40 km/h.
182
00:12:23,190 --> 00:12:25,641
That's exactly where Holland
wants it to stay.
183
00:12:33,822 --> 00:12:37,377
Once through the curves, though,
Holland's brakeman,
Everett Crown,
184
00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,759
notices that the train
is picking up speed.
185
00:12:42,175 --> 00:12:43,590
Frank, we're at 30.
186
00:12:44,867 --> 00:12:47,836
Should be at 25.
187
00:12:51,909 --> 00:12:54,497
The train, actually,
was maintaining its speed.
188
00:12:54,601 --> 00:12:56,983
It might've been picking up
just a little bit,
189
00:12:57,224 --> 00:12:59,744
but... we still had
a long way to go.
190
00:13:09,961 --> 00:13:11,549
It's creeping.
191
00:13:12,895 --> 00:13:17,520
Confused, Holland continues
to increase the pressure
on the air brakes,
192
00:13:17,624 --> 00:13:19,868
but the train
just keeps going faster.
193
00:13:23,941 --> 00:13:26,667
By the time it reached 40 mph...
194
00:13:27,668 --> 00:13:29,222
...I was very concerned.
195
00:13:31,465 --> 00:13:34,365
The train was speeding.
196
00:13:39,439 --> 00:13:42,545
As the train
approaches 72 km/h,
197
00:13:42,649 --> 00:13:44,927
Holland turns his air brakes
on full.
198
00:13:48,413 --> 00:13:49,863
But it doesn't help.
199
00:13:54,799 --> 00:13:58,768
At the bottom of the hill,
the track bends around the town
of San Bernardino.
200
00:13:59,528 --> 00:14:04,498
Frank Holland knows
he's not supposed to go more
than 64 km/h around the corner.
201
00:14:09,607 --> 00:14:13,749
Partway down the hill,
he's already going much faster
than that.
202
00:14:14,957 --> 00:14:17,408
Ruth Green's husband
has left for work.
203
00:14:17,511 --> 00:14:20,273
Her three youngest children
are off to school.
204
00:14:20,894 --> 00:14:24,449
Across the street, Chris Shaw
is just about to take a shower.
205
00:14:25,450 --> 00:14:29,282
Engineer Frank Holland knows
there are several houses
that are right in the way
206
00:14:29,385 --> 00:14:31,387
if his train
comes off the track.
207
00:14:32,699 --> 00:14:35,840
I've been over that territory
many times and, yeah,
208
00:14:35,944 --> 00:14:39,533
I knew that there was a curve
coming down there
and that we weren't gonna make.
209
00:14:47,507 --> 00:14:51,545
At the back of the train,
Engineer Lawrence Hill
also knows they're in trouble.
210
00:14:51,649 --> 00:14:53,685
The air brakes
are turned on full,
211
00:14:53,789 --> 00:14:56,447
but the train
isn't slowing down at all.
212
00:14:56,550 --> 00:14:58,069
Something must be wrong
up there.
213
00:14:58,794 --> 00:15:00,416
Without talking
to the front of the train,
214
00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:02,902
Hill slams on the train's
emergency brakes.
215
00:15:03,695 --> 00:15:05,387
It's their last chance.
216
00:15:07,423 --> 00:15:11,427
The train, at that point,
tried to slow down a little bit.
217
00:15:12,118 --> 00:15:15,397
A couple of seconds later,
it was off to the races.
218
00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:17,295
It just took off like a rocket.
219
00:15:17,399 --> 00:15:21,713
The speed was going up so fast,
I couldn't even believe it.
220
00:15:26,926 --> 00:15:28,997
The emergency brakes
haven't worked.
221
00:15:29,583 --> 00:15:33,829
Smoke begins pouring out
from underneath the train
and it just keeps going faster.
222
00:15:33,933 --> 00:15:35,624
Sixty!
223
00:15:37,626 --> 00:15:38,834
Seventy!
224
00:15:39,628 --> 00:15:41,112
Eighty!
225
00:15:41,216 --> 00:15:45,047
It stopped at 90,
because that's as far
as the speedometer would go.
226
00:15:47,912 --> 00:15:51,398
But Holland knows 7551 East
is still picking up speed.
227
00:15:55,402 --> 00:15:57,646
I'm thinking: My God,
I'm fired.
228
00:15:57,749 --> 00:16:00,338
Actually, that's what I thought.
229
00:16:00,442 --> 00:16:02,720
I'm just looking at everything
that I've done,
230
00:16:02,823 --> 00:16:06,482
I'm trying to go back and see
where I had made a mistake,
what had happened.
231
00:16:09,658 --> 00:16:12,419
7551 to West Colton!
232
00:16:12,523 --> 00:16:14,801
7551 to West Colton!
233
00:16:15,629 --> 00:16:19,426
We're trying to get a hold
of the train dispatcher,
and he won't answer.
234
00:16:20,220 --> 00:16:23,603
The train is out of control
and they can't tell anyone
about it.
235
00:16:24,224 --> 00:16:27,745
At that point,
we were just kinda out there
by ourselves.
236
00:16:27,848 --> 00:16:28,918
Try that phone again!
237
00:16:29,022 --> 00:16:31,680
7551 to West Colton!
238
00:16:34,062 --> 00:16:37,582
West Colton, go ahead.
- We have a slight problem.
239
00:16:39,032 --> 00:16:40,585
At the back of the train,
240
00:16:40,689 --> 00:16:43,036
Engineer Lawrence Hill listens
to the radio call.
241
00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:45,625
I don't know if we can
get this train stopped!
242
00:16:45,728 --> 00:16:49,629
He breaks in, desperate
to tell the dispatcher
how dangerous the situation is.
243
00:16:49,732 --> 00:16:52,666
Mayday! Mayday!
We're doing 90 mph!
244
00:16:52,770 --> 00:16:55,807
9-0! Out of control!
245
00:16:55,911 --> 00:16:58,086
Won't be able to stop
till we hit Colton!
246
00:16:59,984 --> 00:17:02,504
But there's nothing
the dispatcher can do.
247
00:17:03,056 --> 00:17:05,852
The train is travelling
more than 160 km/h.
248
00:17:05,955 --> 00:17:09,166
The houses of San Bernardino
are just seconds away.
249
00:17:17,105 --> 00:17:20,936
Down in the town,
a strange rumbling
breaks the morning calm.
250
00:17:23,076 --> 00:17:25,492
My house began to vibrate.
251
00:17:25,596 --> 00:17:27,701
The house was rattling so hard,
252
00:17:27,805 --> 00:17:30,670
I would've thought
that the windows would've broke.
253
00:17:30,773 --> 00:17:33,086
It just got worse and worse.
By then,
254
00:17:33,190 --> 00:17:34,881
I realized it was the train.
255
00:17:35,675 --> 00:17:37,953
As we were coming up
to that curve,
256
00:17:38,057 --> 00:17:40,921
I looked over at Everett
and I said:
We're gonna die on that curve!
257
00:17:41,025 --> 00:17:42,682
He, uh...
258
00:17:42,785 --> 00:17:44,477
wild-eyed...
259
00:17:45,512 --> 00:17:48,653
Like he was just...
couldn't believe
and just scared to death,
260
00:17:48,757 --> 00:17:50,586
and I'm sure
I looked the same way.
261
00:17:52,519 --> 00:17:56,247
All I knew is that I just put
my feet up there and said,
"Hang on. Here we go.
262
00:17:56,489 --> 00:17:58,629
I never expected to survive.
263
00:18:40,705 --> 00:18:42,466
West Colton!
264
00:18:42,569 --> 00:18:44,640
AGYM Saugus Dispatcher.
265
00:18:44,744 --> 00:18:46,263
Please come in.
266
00:18:46,366 --> 00:18:49,335
We're on the ground here
between Dike and Stover.
267
00:18:49,438 --> 00:18:51,371
Mayday! Mayday!
268
00:18:52,027 --> 00:18:54,443
In the helper engine
at the back of the train,
269
00:18:54,547 --> 00:18:58,413
Engineer Lawrence Hill
desperately calls
the Southern Pacific
dispatcher.
270
00:18:59,483 --> 00:19:02,313
Being at the end of the train
has saved him from injury,
271
00:19:02,417 --> 00:19:05,489
but he's not sure
everyone else has been so
lucky.
272
00:19:05,592 --> 00:19:08,216
SP 7551.
273
00:19:08,319 --> 00:19:10,287
Anybody, please come in!
274
00:19:11,391 --> 00:19:15,740
It takes more
than a minute for Hill to get
a response to his frantic call.
275
00:19:17,294 --> 00:19:20,469
Saugus Dispatcher, 7551 East.
Over.
276
00:19:20,573 --> 00:19:23,852
Saugus Dispatcher,
we are all over the ground here!
277
00:19:23,955 --> 00:19:26,648
I haven't heard anything
from the head end.
278
00:19:26,751 --> 00:19:28,650
They may need some assistance.
279
00:19:29,444 --> 00:19:31,480
We went on the ground!
280
00:19:36,692 --> 00:19:40,420
Incredibly,
Engineer Frank Holland
survives the wreck.
281
00:19:41,318 --> 00:19:44,873
The man in charge of the train
crawls away
from his ruined engine,
282
00:19:44,976 --> 00:19:47,013
the first of the cars
to derail.
283
00:19:48,083 --> 00:19:51,155
Everett. Where's Everett?
We gotta get him.
He's still inside.
284
00:19:51,259 --> 00:19:52,674
Let's get you down first.
285
00:19:54,572 --> 00:19:57,817
He's helped out of the train
by eyewitnesses to the
disaster.
286
00:20:00,613 --> 00:20:04,133
When they pulled me
off the locomotive
and set me down,
287
00:20:04,237 --> 00:20:05,721
it was just...
288
00:20:05,825 --> 00:20:07,447
I just couldn't believe it.
289
00:20:07,551 --> 00:20:11,313
The cars were just mangled,
the locomotives were destroyed.
290
00:20:11,417 --> 00:20:14,385
It was just, you know,
unbelievable devastation.
291
00:20:14,489 --> 00:20:17,733
I just looked back at that
and I went: Oh, my God...
292
00:20:17,837 --> 00:20:19,459
what did I do?
293
00:20:25,707 --> 00:20:28,192
Frank Holland has broken
several ribs.
294
00:20:28,296 --> 00:20:29,952
One of his lungs is punctured.
295
00:20:31,471 --> 00:20:35,613
The man who was riding with him,
Everett Crown,
is soon found dead.
296
00:20:37,305 --> 00:20:40,756
As is Allan Reiss,
the brakeman who was riding
in the third engine.
297
00:20:46,555 --> 00:20:50,904
Footage taken
shortly after the crash
shows the scale of the
disaster.
298
00:20:51,008 --> 00:20:53,597
Seven houses
have been destroyed.
299
00:20:53,700 --> 00:20:56,116
The train itself is a write-off.
300
00:20:56,358 --> 00:20:57,946
As The dust cleared,
301
00:20:58,049 --> 00:21:01,881
then you could see some
of the cars had, you know,
toppled over.
302
00:21:02,502 --> 00:21:06,610
You could see that it looked
like some houses were... gone.
303
00:21:06,713 --> 00:21:10,510
You could see just a twisted,
jumbled...
304
00:21:10,614 --> 00:21:13,237
mass of... of metal,
305
00:21:13,341 --> 00:21:15,722
these cars are turned over.
306
00:21:15,826 --> 00:21:19,312
You're really trying
to grapple with: What is this?
What's happened?
307
00:21:35,777 --> 00:21:37,744
Allan Simpson
is a battalion chief
308
00:21:37,848 --> 00:21:40,057
with the San Bernardino
Fire Department.
309
00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,647
The house that we focused on,
310
00:21:43,750 --> 00:21:45,821
with the information that, uh,
311
00:21:45,925 --> 00:21:48,583
the mother gave us
about one individual,
312
00:21:48,686 --> 00:21:50,032
was totally obliterated.
313
00:21:50,136 --> 00:21:51,827
You wouldn't have recognized it
as a house.
314
00:21:51,931 --> 00:21:54,796
It looked like a jumble
somebody had gone through it
with a bulldozer.
315
00:21:54,899 --> 00:21:57,937
They were hollering that
there's somebody still in there.
316
00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:01,389
We later learned
that was where Chris Shaw lived.
317
00:22:01,803 --> 00:22:03,391
And when you looked
at that house,
318
00:22:03,494 --> 00:22:06,739
it was like you would say
there was no way...
319
00:22:06,842 --> 00:22:09,707
anybody could still be alive
320
00:22:09,811 --> 00:22:12,779
under all of that rubble
and wreckage.
321
00:22:13,642 --> 00:22:18,440
The wreckage is also hiding
an explosive problem no one
in the neighbourhood knew
about.
322
00:22:19,096 --> 00:22:22,755
Running alongside the railway,
about two metres
below the ground,
323
00:22:22,858 --> 00:22:25,965
is a pipeline carrying fuel
back up the mountain.
324
00:22:28,105 --> 00:22:30,383
If it's been damaged
in the derailment,
325
00:22:30,487 --> 00:22:33,179
a single spark could cause
a major explosion.
326
00:22:34,698 --> 00:22:36,355
Prior to this incident,
327
00:22:36,458 --> 00:22:40,635
we were not aware that
this pipeline existed and ran
directly behind our homes.
328
00:22:40,738 --> 00:22:43,603
The thought's always
in the back of your mind
if you have something like that:
329
00:22:43,707 --> 00:22:47,607
This is major, a 14-inch pipe
full of pressurized fuel.
330
00:22:47,711 --> 00:22:49,920
We know what that's gonna do
if it ruptures.
331
00:22:50,714 --> 00:22:54,476
The pipeline is operated
by the Calnev Pipeline company.
332
00:22:54,580 --> 00:22:57,237
It pulls hundreds of barrels
of fuel from the pipe,
333
00:22:57,479 --> 00:23:00,448
trying to reduce the size
of any potential explosion.
334
00:23:04,486 --> 00:23:06,730
But much more fuel
remains behind.
335
00:23:07,558 --> 00:23:09,526
Automatic safety valves
in the pipeline
336
00:23:09,629 --> 00:23:13,288
that are supposed to shut off
individual sections
aren't working.
337
00:23:13,978 --> 00:23:17,568
The company can't completely
drain the area
under the derailment.
338
00:23:19,674 --> 00:23:22,090
Almost three hours
after the crash,
339
00:23:22,193 --> 00:23:24,955
rescue workers find the body
of a small child.
340
00:23:25,645 --> 00:23:28,165
He's the second young boy
killed in the disaster.
341
00:23:29,028 --> 00:23:32,272
After we recovered the two
children from the one house,
342
00:23:32,514 --> 00:23:35,862
there wasn't a lot of hope
for finding anybody else
at that point.
343
00:23:35,966 --> 00:23:38,762
But you never give up hope.
You always keep trying.
344
00:23:40,211 --> 00:23:43,076
But there's pressure
to wind the search down.
345
00:23:43,180 --> 00:23:47,529
Every moment spent
looking for Chris Shaw
further delays the cleanup.
346
00:23:47,633 --> 00:23:51,499
And Calnev can't check
the pipeline properly
until the railcars are gone.
347
00:23:52,500 --> 00:23:54,916
An entire neighbourhood
holds its breath.
348
00:23:55,019 --> 00:23:58,609
Is there any chance
Shaw could possibly have lived
through the disaster?
349
00:24:02,993 --> 00:24:07,756
Southern Pacific
train 7551 East has crashed
into San Bernardino,
California.
350
00:24:08,343 --> 00:24:12,243
Four people are dead
and an entire neighbourhood
has been evacuated.
351
00:24:13,003 --> 00:24:16,109
A gas pipeline under the wreck
hasn't been checked yet.
352
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:24,324
Chris Shaw was in one
of the houses destroyed
when the train derailed.
353
00:24:25,015 --> 00:24:27,431
Twelve hours later,
he's still missing.
354
00:24:28,743 --> 00:24:32,125
George Avery, a firefighter
for less than a year,
355
00:24:32,229 --> 00:24:34,300
takes his shift
at the crash site.
356
00:24:35,301 --> 00:24:37,268
We were ordered
to relieve the crews
357
00:24:37,372 --> 00:24:41,410
that were trying to search
for a body,
358
00:24:41,514 --> 00:24:43,965
and at that time they thought
it was a body recovery.
359
00:24:46,519 --> 00:24:50,350
Shaw is the last person
in the neighbourhood
still to be accounted for.
360
00:24:51,628 --> 00:24:54,631
Workers ask his mother
to draw a map of the house.
361
00:24:55,701 --> 00:24:58,876
She tells them
her son was in the bathroom
when the train derailed.
362
00:25:00,878 --> 00:25:04,261
Workers concentrate
their final search effort
there.
363
00:25:10,612 --> 00:25:15,548
There's pieces
of the house itself sticking out
of this big potash mound,
364
00:25:15,652 --> 00:25:18,862
so you have studs and rafters
and roof covering.
365
00:25:18,965 --> 00:25:21,796
So they gave me a specific area,
so I started removing
the product.
366
00:25:21,899 --> 00:25:25,731
And as I did so for...
it seemed like an eternity,
367
00:25:25,834 --> 00:25:28,527
but it was probably an hour,
1.5 hours,
368
00:25:28,630 --> 00:25:33,393
this void occurred
and started to reveal itself
in front of me.
369
00:25:35,568 --> 00:25:37,432
As Avery reaches
into the opening,
370
00:25:37,536 --> 00:25:39,745
he feels something
snag his jacket.
371
00:25:40,366 --> 00:25:42,920
So then I immediately
pulled it out,
372
00:25:43,024 --> 00:25:45,474
thinking it was caught on a nail
or whatever.
373
00:25:45,578 --> 00:25:47,476
As I pulled it out
and looked inside,
374
00:25:47,580 --> 00:25:51,066
I saw this hand waving in front.
375
00:25:51,688 --> 00:25:54,000
I found him! I found him!!
376
00:25:56,244 --> 00:25:57,694
Help!
377
00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,041
Somebody help me!
378
00:26:09,637 --> 00:26:13,157
It takes workers
nearly 1.5 hours to pull
Chris Shaw from the wreckage.
379
00:26:14,814 --> 00:26:17,714
Debris from the train
had formed a protective cocoon
around him.
380
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,477
It gave Shaw air to breathe
and kept the jagged metal
from crushing him.
381
00:26:24,099 --> 00:26:26,239
We were absolutely amazed
that he lived,
382
00:26:26,343 --> 00:26:27,689
especially that long.
383
00:26:27,793 --> 00:26:29,760
We're talking most of the day.
384
00:26:29,864 --> 00:26:32,314
Really didn't think
he had much of a chance.
385
00:26:32,418 --> 00:26:35,421
So when he came up out of there,
it was just stunning.
386
00:26:36,767 --> 00:26:38,286
With Shaw's rescue,
387
00:26:38,389 --> 00:26:41,669
everyone in the neighbourhood
and on the train has been
found.
388
00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:45,569
The wreck of 7551 East
has killed four people,
389
00:26:45,673 --> 00:26:49,504
injured four more
and totally destroyed
seven houses.
390
00:26:54,751 --> 00:26:58,755
Even with Shaw's rescue,
San Bernardino's troubles
aren't over yet.
391
00:26:59,514 --> 00:27:03,414
If the Calnev pipeline
has been damaged,
it could explode at any time,
392
00:27:03,518 --> 00:27:06,901
destroying more homes
and taking more lives.
393
00:27:14,771 --> 00:27:17,152
With that threat
hanging over the neighbourhood,
394
00:27:17,394 --> 00:27:19,879
the search for the cause
of the derailment begins.
395
00:27:20,777 --> 00:27:24,850
William Pugh and Russel Quimby
are with the National
Transportation Safety Board.
396
00:27:25,885 --> 00:27:27,404
By the time the team got there,
397
00:27:27,507 --> 00:27:29,199
it was fairly late
and it was dark,
398
00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:32,409
and the scene looked
like Dante's Inferno.
399
00:27:32,512 --> 00:27:34,963
A lot of wreckage,
a lot of parts still,
400
00:27:35,067 --> 00:27:36,896
particularly the brake parts,
wheels,
401
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,381
red-hot still after 12 hours.
402
00:27:39,485 --> 00:27:43,662
The wheels had gotten so hot,
they'd literally expanded
off the axles.
403
00:27:46,630 --> 00:27:50,841
The friction between
the wheels, the brakes
and the tracks was so intense,
404
00:27:50,945 --> 00:27:53,464
the wheels themselves
began to liquify,
405
00:27:53,568 --> 00:27:57,054
turning to molten steel
as the train sped down the
hill.
406
00:27:58,124 --> 00:28:02,094
Investigators know the train's
brakes couldn't slow it down,
but why?
407
00:28:08,825 --> 00:28:11,828
The next day,
cleanup operations begin.
408
00:28:11,931 --> 00:28:16,039
Southern Pacific needs to clear
its ruined train from the area.
409
00:28:16,142 --> 00:28:20,733
It's the only way
the investigators can work and
Calnev can check its pipeline.
410
00:28:20,837 --> 00:28:24,979
Southern Pacific has all of
the cars moved two days later,
411
00:28:25,082 --> 00:28:28,983
but the ground is still covered
with 7551 East's cargo -
412
00:28:29,086 --> 00:28:30,950
hundreds of tons of trona.
413
00:28:39,441 --> 00:28:42,686
Calnev begins clearing the trona
along the route of the
pipeline.
414
00:28:42,790 --> 00:28:45,068
It's the quickest way
to inspect the line,
415
00:28:45,171 --> 00:28:47,415
and it keeps
the heavy equipment away.
416
00:28:49,141 --> 00:28:52,627
They made five
or six excavations
down to the pipeline
417
00:28:52,731 --> 00:28:54,974
to visually look
at the pipeline.
418
00:28:55,078 --> 00:28:59,738
They felt comfortable
that nothing had penetrated
to the depth of the pipeline.
419
00:29:02,810 --> 00:29:05,536
The fuel
is under incredible pressure.
420
00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,471
Any damage could lead
to a massive leak
and possible explosion.
421
00:29:10,576 --> 00:29:11,991
But Calnev finds nothing.
422
00:29:12,095 --> 00:29:15,477
The depth of the pipe
has shielded it
from the storm above.
423
00:29:17,756 --> 00:29:22,968
The pipeline is a vital source
of gas for Las Vegas,
almost 320 km away.
424
00:29:24,314 --> 00:29:27,731
It supplies both civilian
and military customers
in the desert.
425
00:29:28,836 --> 00:29:31,114
There's pressure
to get the gas moving again.
426
00:29:33,979 --> 00:29:37,085
There were a number of people
in the community that thought
it should not be opened.
427
00:29:37,189 --> 00:29:41,055
And supposedly people
in Las Vegas had said
that they had cars
428
00:29:41,158 --> 00:29:46,198
that were worth more
than our homes on Duffy St.
and so fire up the pipeline.
429
00:29:49,166 --> 00:29:51,444
Just four days
after the derailment,
430
00:29:51,548 --> 00:29:53,688
the pipeline is restarted.
431
00:29:53,792 --> 00:29:56,553
Calnev watches for any drop
in pressure.
432
00:29:56,656 --> 00:30:00,522
It would mean fuel was escaping,
that there was a leak somewhere
in the system.
433
00:30:01,213 --> 00:30:02,801
But it holds.
434
00:30:09,221 --> 00:30:10,567
The very same day,
435
00:30:10,670 --> 00:30:14,640
Southern Pacific
finishes its repairs
on the damaged railway.
436
00:30:14,743 --> 00:30:17,816
Trains are once again moving
past San Bernardino.
437
00:30:24,339 --> 00:30:26,548
The cleanup
isn't quite finished, though.
438
00:30:27,446 --> 00:30:32,382
More of the ash-like cargo
of train 7551 East
is littered across the area.
439
00:30:33,348 --> 00:30:36,489
Heavy machinery comes in
to dig it up and haul it away.
440
00:30:37,559 --> 00:30:40,459
The huge machines could easily
damage the pipeline,
441
00:30:40,562 --> 00:30:42,633
so it's carefully marked
with stakes.
442
00:30:43,393 --> 00:30:47,500
I told my husband
one evening that I smelled gas,
443
00:30:47,604 --> 00:30:51,470
but we had been reassured that
they had inspected this line
444
00:30:51,573 --> 00:30:53,644
and that there were no leaks.
445
00:30:53,748 --> 00:30:56,613
I was at the accident site
until it was finally cleaned up
446
00:30:56,716 --> 00:31:01,204
and there was a fence
put around the area and secured,
447
00:31:01,307 --> 00:31:03,309
and it looked
like everything was fine.
448
00:31:15,528 --> 00:31:17,945
Early morning, May 25.
449
00:31:18,048 --> 00:31:22,432
It's been almost two weeks
since 7551 East derailed,
450
00:31:22,535 --> 00:31:24,434
slamming into San Bernardino.
451
00:31:24,537 --> 00:31:27,368
But the cleanup was fast.
For more than a week,
452
00:31:27,471 --> 00:31:29,266
the trains,
453
00:31:29,370 --> 00:31:32,925
and the fuel
in a pipeline below,
have been running smoothly.
454
00:31:43,004 --> 00:31:46,766
Then, from a clear sky,
rain seems to fall.
455
00:31:51,495 --> 00:31:55,568
Large sections
of the neighbourhood are soaked
by this peculiar shower.
456
00:31:57,432 --> 00:32:00,539
Ruth Green is back
in her house when...
457
00:32:06,372 --> 00:32:10,342
For the second time in a month,
she's confronted
with a horrifying sight.
458
00:32:10,998 --> 00:32:12,792
To the left of me,
459
00:32:12,896 --> 00:32:17,901
as far as I could see up,
down or side to side,
460
00:32:18,005 --> 00:32:20,490
was nothing but a big wall
of fire.
461
00:32:20,904 --> 00:32:24,839
I got to the front door,
neighbours were screaming,
"Get out! Get out!"
462
00:32:24,943 --> 00:32:26,841
I ran for my life.
463
00:32:34,780 --> 00:32:39,060
Once again,
the fire department responds
to a major disaster on Duffy
St.
464
00:32:44,790 --> 00:32:47,655
As we're getting
the call and getting on the rig,
465
00:32:47,758 --> 00:32:50,382
and opening the door,
there was no doubt in my mind
what that was.
466
00:32:50,485 --> 00:32:53,626
You could see a huge column
of smoke and flame,
467
00:32:53,730 --> 00:32:56,388
and I knew immediately
it had to be the pipeline.
468
00:32:57,665 --> 00:33:01,945
A tower of smoke and flame
reaches more than 100 metres
into the sky.
469
00:33:06,570 --> 00:33:08,089
Initially,
when we got in there,
470
00:33:08,193 --> 00:33:12,369
we were so close
that the plastic lenses on
the front of the engine melted.
471
00:33:12,473 --> 00:33:17,961
Several of the turn signals,
part of the red lights melted.
472
00:33:18,065 --> 00:33:22,276
There was an intense noise
coming from this...
473
00:33:22,379 --> 00:33:23,829
pipeline,
where it had ruptured.
474
00:33:23,932 --> 00:33:25,693
It sounded like a jet engine.
475
00:33:25,796 --> 00:33:28,765
"Deafening"
is how I would describe it.
476
00:33:29,490 --> 00:33:31,595
And we dealt with that
all day long.
477
00:33:32,079 --> 00:33:35,841
Local firefighters
aren't the only ones
called back to the scene.
478
00:33:35,944 --> 00:33:38,430
I got a call to report
to the chairman's office.
479
00:33:38,533 --> 00:33:40,501
I went down
to the chairman's office,
480
00:33:40,604 --> 00:33:43,021
notified that the pipeline
blew up,
481
00:33:43,124 --> 00:33:45,540
and that I should get my team
together again.
482
00:33:45,644 --> 00:33:48,785
The area looked more or less
like a war zone,
where a lot of damage,
483
00:33:48,888 --> 00:33:50,994
a lot of fire damage
had been done.
484
00:33:51,098 --> 00:33:53,824
Uh, houses in the area were, uh,
485
00:33:53,928 --> 00:33:55,585
incinerated.
486
00:33:56,586 --> 00:33:59,347
Once again, Calnev,
which runs the pipeline,
487
00:33:59,451 --> 00:34:01,625
can't shut its emergency valves.
488
00:34:02,661 --> 00:34:06,699
Almost two-million litres
of fuel burn
for more than seven hours.
489
00:34:11,049 --> 00:34:13,775
By the time the flames are out,
two people are dead,
490
00:34:13,879 --> 00:34:16,364
three more are injured,
491
00:34:16,468 --> 00:34:19,160
another 11 houses
have been destroyed.
492
00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,475
The residents of San Bernardino
are in shock.
493
00:34:25,270 --> 00:34:28,652
They talked about the fact
that one of the people
that died,
494
00:34:28,756 --> 00:34:33,243
that all they really could find
was their shoes
that were left in one spot.
495
00:34:33,485 --> 00:34:35,901
And that, you know,
the mental picture of that,
496
00:34:36,004 --> 00:34:38,006
it troubles you quite a bit.
497
00:34:39,215 --> 00:34:41,700
After the fire,
it was over for me.
498
00:34:41,803 --> 00:34:45,048
I just... I couldn't see myself
living in the house anymore.
499
00:34:45,152 --> 00:34:47,430
It really scared me
just that bad.
500
00:34:51,882 --> 00:34:53,746
What people here
will soon learn
501
00:34:53,850 --> 00:34:56,611
is that all of the damage,
pain and suffering
502
00:34:56,715 --> 00:34:59,545
is the result of a simple
horrifying mistake.
503
00:35:08,796 --> 00:35:12,282
A small neighbourhood
in San Bernardino, California,
504
00:35:12,524 --> 00:35:14,629
has been devastated
by two disasters.
505
00:35:14,733 --> 00:35:17,184
In just 13 days,
506
00:35:17,287 --> 00:35:20,083
a train derailment
and a gas explosion
have ripped through the area,
507
00:35:20,187 --> 00:35:22,016
killing six people.
508
00:35:27,332 --> 00:35:31,922
Investigators with the National
Transportation Safety Board
study both accidents.
509
00:35:32,854 --> 00:35:35,167
With the train crash,
they focus on black boxes,
510
00:35:35,271 --> 00:35:37,687
which were recovered
from three of the engines.
511
00:35:38,964 --> 00:35:42,588
And that records, uh,
distance, speed,
512
00:35:42,692 --> 00:35:44,694
throttle position,
air-brake pressures.
513
00:35:44,797 --> 00:35:49,008
We try to figure out what speed
the train eventually got to.
It exceeded the graph.
514
00:35:52,771 --> 00:35:55,014
The black boxes reveal
that 7551 East
515
00:35:55,118 --> 00:35:57,465
had probably reached
the incredible speed
516
00:35:57,569 --> 00:36:01,366
of 177 km/h
before derailing.
517
00:36:01,814 --> 00:36:05,370
The speed limit on the curve
was just over 60 km/h.
518
00:36:06,474 --> 00:36:09,753
Although the train's brakes
had been applied,
it continued accelerating.
519
00:36:15,587 --> 00:36:18,659
How had the train
become so out of control?
520
00:36:20,557 --> 00:36:24,492
Almost all accidents
are a chain of events that link
together to cause the accident.
521
00:36:24,596 --> 00:36:27,185
Of course, any one point,
if you'd broken that link,
522
00:36:27,288 --> 00:36:29,325
you know, the accident
wouldn't have occurred.
523
00:36:30,981 --> 00:36:32,535
Like other freight trains,
524
00:36:32,638 --> 00:36:36,780
7551 East has two different
systems to slow it down:
525
00:36:37,678 --> 00:36:39,438
dynamic brakes...
526
00:36:39,542 --> 00:36:41,475
and air brakes.
527
00:36:42,648 --> 00:36:46,411
Air brakes push a block
against the wheels
of each freight car.
528
00:36:46,514 --> 00:36:50,000
The greater the pressure
applied to the block,
the slower the train goes.
529
00:36:52,279 --> 00:36:55,040
Investigators learn
that the air brakes
were working properly
530
00:36:55,282 --> 00:36:56,938
as the train started
down the hill.
531
00:36:57,974 --> 00:36:59,769
As the train sped up, though,
532
00:36:59,872 --> 00:37:03,428
Engineer Frank Holland
maintained pressure
on the air brakes.
533
00:37:04,083 --> 00:37:07,915
The heat created by the brakes
became so intense
that they melted.
534
00:37:08,329 --> 00:37:10,538
By the time of the crash,
they were useless.
535
00:37:12,678 --> 00:37:15,405
The team turns its focus
to the dynamic brakes.
536
00:37:15,509 --> 00:37:20,341
The dynamic brakes harness
a magnetic field created
by the engines' main generator.
537
00:37:20,962 --> 00:37:25,312
They reverse the magnetic field,
which slows the axles
on the locomotive.
538
00:37:29,005 --> 00:37:32,664
There were four engines
at the front of the train
and two at the back.
539
00:37:33,699 --> 00:37:35,287
Before beginning his trip,
540
00:37:35,391 --> 00:37:39,291
Engineer Frank Holland knew
that his second engine
wasn't working at all,
541
00:37:39,395 --> 00:37:43,571
and that the dynamic brakes
on his fourth engine
were only working sporadically.
542
00:37:43,675 --> 00:37:45,677
Still, it was more than enough.
543
00:37:48,093 --> 00:37:51,130
We figured that with the units
that we had on the head end,
544
00:37:51,372 --> 00:37:53,788
and the two helpers
that they gave us later on,
545
00:37:53,892 --> 00:37:57,999
we could do 30 mph
down that grade with no problem.
546
00:37:59,725 --> 00:38:01,934
When his train starts
down the mountain,
547
00:38:02,038 --> 00:38:03,936
Holland has it under control.
548
00:38:04,661 --> 00:38:07,630
With the brakes he has,
he should be able
to hold his speed,
549
00:38:07,733 --> 00:38:09,287
but he can't.
550
00:38:11,910 --> 00:38:13,567
Frank, we're at 30.
551
00:38:13,670 --> 00:38:15,776
Should be at 25.
552
00:38:16,949 --> 00:38:18,503
It's creeping.
553
00:38:20,436 --> 00:38:24,716
What the NTSB investigators
discover from the black boxes
is stunning.
554
00:38:25,579 --> 00:38:28,927
The brakes on the third engine
at the front of the train
didn't work at all
555
00:38:29,030 --> 00:38:31,861
as 7551 East gathered speed.
556
00:38:35,623 --> 00:38:39,696
During the trip, Holland had
even checked with the brakeman
in the third engine.
557
00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:42,320
- Allan?
- Yeah.
558
00:38:42,423 --> 00:38:43,873
What are your dynamics like?
559
00:38:43,976 --> 00:38:45,633
They're revving.
560
00:38:45,737 --> 00:38:47,773
But the black boxes
show investigators
561
00:38:47,877 --> 00:38:51,639
that even though the dynamic
brakes were making the noise
they usually make,
562
00:38:51,743 --> 00:38:53,710
they weren't working.
563
00:38:53,814 --> 00:38:56,748
They weren't helping
slow the train down at all.
564
00:38:58,612 --> 00:39:00,027
But it gets worse.
565
00:39:00,821 --> 00:39:03,237
Coupled and... ready to go.
566
00:39:03,479 --> 00:39:06,413
- Roger that.
- Of the two engines added
to the back of the train,
567
00:39:06,516 --> 00:39:08,622
one didn't have
any braking power either.
568
00:39:09,692 --> 00:39:12,522
Lawrence Hill,
the engineer at the back,
knew it,
569
00:39:12,626 --> 00:39:14,559
but he never told Frank Holland.
570
00:39:14,662 --> 00:39:17,734
He didn't communicate to him
he had only one locomotive...
571
00:39:17,838 --> 00:39:20,427
dynamic; the other one was out.
572
00:39:20,530 --> 00:39:24,223
The helper engineer thought
that the dispatcher
573
00:39:24,465 --> 00:39:27,710
would notify the lead engineer.
574
00:39:27,813 --> 00:39:30,713
- Calling the helper.
- This is the helper.
575
00:39:30,816 --> 00:39:32,680
You got all your dynamics?
576
00:39:33,854 --> 00:39:35,649
Yeah, I'm in full.
577
00:39:35,752 --> 00:39:38,479
So when Holland asks Hill
at the back of the train
578
00:39:38,583 --> 00:39:41,620
if he has all of his dynamics,
Hill says yes.
579
00:39:42,828 --> 00:39:44,796
But he only means
in the one engine.
580
00:39:45,624 --> 00:39:47,385
It's a startling discovery.
581
00:39:47,488 --> 00:39:51,043
Holland doesn't have
anywhere near the braking power
he thinks he does.
582
00:39:53,805 --> 00:39:57,084
Investigators studying
the black boxes uncover
one more secret
583
00:39:57,187 --> 00:39:59,949
of the train's terrifying ride
down the mountain.
584
00:40:04,125 --> 00:40:06,783
Something must be wrong
up there.
585
00:40:11,167 --> 00:40:13,411
When Lawrence Hill pulled
the emergency brakes,
586
00:40:13,514 --> 00:40:16,379
he actually cancelled out
the dynamic brakes.
587
00:40:17,173 --> 00:40:19,244
It's a safety feature
to keep the wheels from locking
588
00:40:19,347 --> 00:40:21,246
and the train from sliding
down the tracks.
589
00:40:22,592 --> 00:40:24,801
In this case,
with the air brakes melting,
590
00:40:24,905 --> 00:40:28,736
the dynamic brakes
were the only thing
holding the train back.
591
00:40:29,530 --> 00:40:33,258
Putting the emergency brakes on
actually sped the train up.
592
00:40:36,779 --> 00:40:39,540
When the emergency brakes
are applied,
593
00:40:39,644 --> 00:40:44,165
what happens is you lose
your dynamic braking
and you get a runaway train.
594
00:40:45,926 --> 00:40:47,479
But Pugh is still puzzled.
595
00:40:47,583 --> 00:40:49,688
According to all the paperwork,
596
00:40:49,792 --> 00:40:54,003
7551 East was hauling
3.5 million kilos of cargo.
597
00:40:54,244 --> 00:40:57,385
At that weight,
even with his crippled engines,
598
00:40:57,489 --> 00:41:00,561
Holland should've been able
to hold his speed
going down the mountain.
599
00:41:01,631 --> 00:41:03,357
To find out why he couldn't,
600
00:41:03,461 --> 00:41:06,774
investigators turn
their attention to the days
before the accident.
601
00:41:13,816 --> 00:41:17,509
7551 East was pulling a shipment
for Lake Minerals.
602
00:41:18,924 --> 00:41:20,823
Five days before the trip began,
603
00:41:20,926 --> 00:41:25,241
the company's superintendent
drops off the proper paperwork
with Thomas Blair,
604
00:41:25,344 --> 00:41:27,001
who works for Southern Pacific.
605
00:41:27,933 --> 00:41:32,490
The paperwork outlines
what's in the shipment
and normally how much it
weighs.
606
00:41:32,593 --> 00:41:33,974
Thanks.
607
00:41:37,633 --> 00:41:40,808
In this case, though,
the weight was not filled in.
608
00:41:41,706 --> 00:41:46,607
Lake Minerals believed
each of the cars was filled
to its maximum: 90,000 kilos.
609
00:41:49,265 --> 00:41:50,404
Hey!
610
00:41:53,787 --> 00:41:54,615
Hey!
611
00:41:56,514 --> 00:41:58,343
Since that's what the company
expected,
612
00:41:58,446 --> 00:42:01,829
Lake Minerals didn't think
there was any reason
to put the number down.
613
00:42:02,934 --> 00:42:06,903
But Blair knows that to fill out
the proper computer forms,
he'll need to have a weight,
614
00:42:07,007 --> 00:42:09,872
or the train won't be able
to leave the trainyard.
615
00:42:13,392 --> 00:42:16,775
Blair has been working with
Southern Pacific for 17 years.
616
00:42:16,879 --> 00:42:19,882
He's seen thousands
of freight cars leave his yard.
617
00:42:20,952 --> 00:42:22,505
He makes an educated guess
618
00:42:22,609 --> 00:42:26,613
that the material
in each car on the train
weighs 54,000 kilos.
619
00:42:30,686 --> 00:42:33,447
But Blair's guess
is a tragic miscalculation.
620
00:42:33,551 --> 00:42:36,761
Every single freight car
on 7551 East
621
00:42:36,864 --> 00:42:41,524
is actually carrying
36,000 kilos more material
than he estimated.
622
00:42:42,007 --> 00:42:43,664
Across 69 cars,
623
00:42:43,768 --> 00:42:47,495
it means the train is actually
more than six jumbo jets,
624
00:42:47,599 --> 00:42:51,845
2.5 million kilos heavier
than anyone thinks it is.
625
00:42:52,777 --> 00:42:56,297
Nobody caught the fact
that the weights were way under.
626
00:42:56,401 --> 00:42:59,749
Train orders, train lists
and tonnage profile.
627
00:42:59,853 --> 00:43:02,372
From then on, uh...
628
00:43:02,476 --> 00:43:07,550
the engineer had a profile
of the train that showed
6,100 tons.
629
00:43:07,654 --> 00:43:10,760
He operated that way,
630
00:43:10,864 --> 00:43:13,901
and it was wrong,
it was dramatically wrong.
631
00:43:14,005 --> 00:43:16,628
I mean, that was only two-thirds
the weight of that train.
632
00:43:16,732 --> 00:43:19,286
That train was doomed
and we just didn't know it.
633
00:43:23,566 --> 00:43:26,983
Frank Holland was in trouble
before his trip began.
634
00:43:27,087 --> 00:43:29,917
Even if all of his engines
were working,
635
00:43:30,021 --> 00:43:32,126
it would've been
a difficult trip
down the mountain.
636
00:43:32,230 --> 00:43:37,822
With all of the problems he had,
he simply didn't have the power
to slow his enormous train
down.
637
00:43:38,788 --> 00:43:42,412
Crashing into San Bernardino
was all but inevitable
from the beginning.
638
00:43:44,898 --> 00:43:48,764
The wreck of 7551 East
was a preventable disaster.
639
00:43:51,732 --> 00:43:54,908
Investigators are about
to discover that the explosion
which followed
640
00:43:55,011 --> 00:43:56,737
didn't have to happen either.
641
00:44:01,569 --> 00:44:03,157
In May of 1989,
642
00:44:03,399 --> 00:44:07,334
twin disasters shatter the town
of San Bernardino, California.
643
00:44:08,438 --> 00:44:10,993
A train derailment
and a gas-line explosion
644
00:44:11,096 --> 00:44:15,825
kill six people and destroy
more than a dozen houses.
645
00:44:16,723 --> 00:44:21,072
Investigators comb
through the ashes to learn
how the two events are linked.
646
00:44:25,835 --> 00:44:28,458
The pipeline was two metres
below ground.
647
00:44:30,012 --> 00:44:33,774
And in the days
after the derailment,
Calnev examined it closely.
648
00:44:34,499 --> 00:44:38,745
They couldn't find a single dent
or crack where the train
had broken through the earth.
649
00:44:39,573 --> 00:44:42,162
The train crash hadn't seemed
to weaken the pipeline.
650
00:44:45,613 --> 00:44:47,719
And when gas began pumping
through the pipe,
651
00:44:47,823 --> 00:44:51,378
there was no loss of pressure,
no warning sign of a problem.
652
00:44:52,172 --> 00:44:54,070
They started operating,
653
00:44:54,174 --> 00:44:57,833
and brought it up
to about 1,600 pounds,
654
00:44:57,936 --> 00:45:02,803
and all of the pressure readings
at various places along
the pipeline looked normal.
655
00:45:06,876 --> 00:45:09,258
Since the derailment itself
didn't cause the rupture,
656
00:45:09,499 --> 00:45:11,812
investigators continue
their search.
657
00:45:12,951 --> 00:45:14,919
They study the pipeline
for clues.
658
00:45:15,747 --> 00:45:18,543
Even though the fire burned
for hours,
659
00:45:18,646 --> 00:45:21,166
the piece of pipe that burst
has not been destroyed.
660
00:45:25,239 --> 00:45:28,829
When the pipe opened up,
it caused a rupture in the pipe
661
00:45:28,933 --> 00:45:32,695
that was sort of what we term
as a fish-mouth shape.
662
00:45:32,799 --> 00:45:34,490
And at the widest area,
663
00:45:34,593 --> 00:45:38,666
it was about four inches wide,
and about 2.5 feet long.
664
00:45:41,980 --> 00:45:43,671
Like forensic investigators,
665
00:45:43,775 --> 00:45:46,571
the NTSB looks
for a tell-tale fingerprint
666
00:45:46,674 --> 00:45:49,677
that will help them discover
how the pipe broke.
667
00:45:51,196 --> 00:45:53,095
Near the spot
where the pipe ruptured,
668
00:45:53,198 --> 00:45:56,961
investigators find dents
and several deeper gouges.
669
00:45:58,894 --> 00:46:01,482
The marks are like wounds
on a murder victim.
670
00:46:01,586 --> 00:46:04,658
If investigators can find out
what caused the marks,
671
00:46:04,762 --> 00:46:07,730
they'll discover what caused
the pipeline to burst.
672
00:46:07,834 --> 00:46:09,456
We knew that, uh,
673
00:46:09,559 --> 00:46:13,115
there were deposits
of hardened steel
left in the gouges.
674
00:46:13,909 --> 00:46:17,153
We knew that whatever piece
of equipment had damaged
the pipe
675
00:46:17,257 --> 00:46:20,778
had teeth on it that were, uh,
hardened steel.
676
00:46:22,124 --> 00:46:24,229
There are several
possible suspects.
677
00:46:24,851 --> 00:46:29,165
A number of front-end loaders
and one large backhoe
used during the cleanup
678
00:46:29,269 --> 00:46:31,650
all had hardened steel teeth.
679
00:46:31,754 --> 00:46:34,274
But Batten can never pinpoint
the blame.
680
00:46:35,862 --> 00:46:38,140
Well, the NTSB...
681
00:46:38,243 --> 00:46:41,660
determined that the damage
to the pipeline was done
682
00:46:41,764 --> 00:46:43,490
during one of two phases:
683
00:46:43,593 --> 00:46:46,562
either the cleanup
of the train wreckage,
684
00:46:46,665 --> 00:46:50,186
or it was done during the time
in which the trona
was being cleaned up
685
00:46:50,290 --> 00:46:52,740
after the train wreckage
had been removed.
686
00:46:56,883 --> 00:47:00,887
Two mistakes resulted
in a pair of disasters
for San Bernardino...
687
00:47:03,130 --> 00:47:04,787
...and the death of six people.
688
00:47:12,899 --> 00:47:15,177
In its final report
on the disasters,
689
00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:17,938
the NTSB doesn't blame
Frank Holland,
690
00:47:18,042 --> 00:47:21,321
saying his belief
that he had enough braking
power to stop the train
691
00:47:21,562 --> 00:47:22,943
was perfectly reasonable.
692
00:47:28,776 --> 00:47:31,503
Holland still rides the rails,
693
00:47:31,607 --> 00:47:34,886
but he's never made the trip
down the San Gabriel Mountains
again.
694
00:47:36,094 --> 00:47:38,786
Psychologically,
I just don't think
I could take it.
695
00:47:39,304 --> 00:47:41,203
I don't think
I could relive that.
696
00:47:41,306 --> 00:47:43,757
Every time I went down,
I would relive it.
697
00:47:45,034 --> 00:47:47,761
And, uh,
I choose not to do that.
698
00:47:48,624 --> 00:47:50,315
It'd just be too painful.
699
00:47:52,248 --> 00:47:55,113
Calnev, the company
that operated the pipeline,
700
00:47:55,217 --> 00:47:59,600
was called to account for not
checking it after the cleanup
operations were completed.
701
00:48:00,636 --> 00:48:03,570
Lawsuits against the company
were settled out of court.
702
00:48:04,985 --> 00:48:07,574
Calnev, in hindsight, I think,
703
00:48:07,677 --> 00:48:12,406
would agree that they should
have been much more thorough
in their inspection.
704
00:48:12,648 --> 00:48:16,272
They got comfortable
with what they saw,
705
00:48:16,376 --> 00:48:20,690
and they made an assessment
without adequate information
706
00:48:20,794 --> 00:48:23,866
that it was an undamaged
pipeline and okay to operate.
707
00:48:25,109 --> 00:48:27,974
Thomas Blair,
who incorrectly filled in
the paperwork,
708
00:48:28,077 --> 00:48:29,803
was never charged.
709
00:48:30,908 --> 00:48:34,014
But after the disaster,
Southern Pacific
changed its rules,
710
00:48:34,118 --> 00:48:37,086
so that every freight car
without a specified weight
711
00:48:37,190 --> 00:48:40,331
was assumed to be carrying
its maximum allowable load.
712
00:48:43,368 --> 00:48:47,131
Southern Pacific also settled
a number of lawsuits
out of court.
713
00:48:47,234 --> 00:48:49,305
The company no longer exists.
714
00:48:49,409 --> 00:48:51,929
It was bought out
years after the disaster.
715
00:48:58,004 --> 00:49:01,248
Trains continue to run
past San Bernardino,
716
00:49:01,352 --> 00:49:05,045
but many of the families
involved in the disaster
moved away.
717
00:49:06,357 --> 00:49:10,188
Trains are still coming down
out of Cajon Pass.
718
00:49:10,292 --> 00:49:15,883
And so a person couldn't help
but go, in their mind,
go to where: What if?
719
00:49:15,987 --> 00:49:19,094
That this thing
could happen again.
720
00:49:24,133 --> 00:49:26,964
Houses aren't allowed
beside the tracks anymore.
721
00:49:30,036 --> 00:49:32,762
All that's left
is an ugly scar of land.
722
00:49:36,249 --> 00:49:39,079
There is no monument here
to mourn those who died.
723
00:49:41,323 --> 00:49:44,947
Or to mark the day when disaster
came to Duffy St.
724
00:50:12,457 --> 00:50:14,425
difuze