C8/​2005R De­tach­ing of trac­tion de­vice of lo­co­motibe and de­rail­ing of freight wagon, on sec­tion of line be­tween Ypykkä­vaara and Var­tius in Fin­land, on 28 De­cem­ber 2005

15.01.2007

On Wednesday December 28, 2005, on the Ypykkävaara– Vartius section of line between Kontiomäki and Vartius in Finland, an incident took place in which the detaching of the traction equipment of a locomotive caused the derailment of the rear bogie of the third wagon of a freight train.

The incident generated no personal injury. The derailed wagon damaged some sleepers. The following day the track was repaired. The detached traction device caused some damage to the two locomotives in the train. The fuel tanks of the locomotives were pierced and the fuel contained
therein leaked out. The costs generated by the incident amounted to about 108 000 Euros.

The traction device of the locomotive detached as caused by the unfastening of the retention screws of the clamp disc of the traction device wedge. The clamp disc and the wedge fell off and the traction device detached from the locomotive.

In order to prevent corresponding accidents, the Accident Investigation Board of Finland recommends that the Dr16 locomotive maintenance instructions be supplemented by a checking of the fastening of the clamp disc of the traction device wedge.