Train Derailment Dumps Two 737 Fuselages Into Clark Fork River 187
McGruber (1417641) writes "Boeing builds its 737 airplane fuselages in a Wichita, Kansas factory. The fuselages are then shipped on top of railroad flatcars (as shown in this photograph) to Boeing's Renton, Washington plant, where assembly is completed. Unfortunately, a train carrying two fuselages to Renton derailed approximately 18 miles east of Superior, Montana. The 737s slid down a steep embankment and ended up in the Clark Fork River. That'll buff right out."
Warranty (Score:3, Funny)
I think that's gonna void the warranty... .High*Ping*Drifter.
"When in doubt, I whip it out!"
crazy clown airlines will take them (Score:2)
crazy clown airlines will take them.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What's "aay"?
Yes, ok, there was a derailment... (Score:3)
...but man, you should see how flat that train squashed my penny!
Re:Warranty (Score:5, Funny)
My Dad was a wiring inspector for Boeing; he did the wiring in our house. ...
I don't fly.
Delicious, delicious irony (Score:2)
If only one could subsist off of irony. Slashdot alone could feed the world...
Re: (Score:2)
Thanks. :)
Re: (Score:2)
Nonsense. Emoticons are pop culture detritus, not formal grammatical entities. But by all means, you let me know when they pop up in Strunk and White's.
Re: Why are the fuselage apple green colored ? (Score:5, Informative)
Boeing green is a standard anti corrosion paint they use. Most parts are green under toe topcoat.
Re: Why are the fuselage apple green colored ? (Score:5, Informative)
The picture of a fuselage on a railcar and the two fuselages that fell into the river are all apple green colored
Why is that?
The green is a protective coating. It's removed with a solvent before painting. The yellow around the wingroots is zinc-chromate anti-corrosion paint, which is permanent. Most of the interior metallic structure is covered in chromate.
Re: Why are the fuselage apple green colored ? (Score:5, Insightful)
That stuff is pretty amazing. I have a number of bits of aluminum plate and extrusions scrounged from the Reserve Property Center (Where Boeing sold surplus parts and equipment including entire landing gear assemblies - it was a fantastic place to stagger around and become delusional about what you could build. Unfortunately, the MBAs shut it down a number of years ago. Very, very sad. )
Anyway. the coating withstands scratching, denting, bending and pretty much everything short of a TIG welder. I wish there were ways to get that coating applied in one off numbers for various home projects.
Re: (Score:2)
They pass about 1/4 mile from where I live all the time. I'd wondered about that green coating, and what kind of damage they might incur enroute...
Predicting made it happen, I didn't mean to do it!!
Re: (Score:2)
I peeled the quote out of a book many years ago, and it still amuses me no end.
As to folk who might take it more seriously... yeah, it's superstition if you take it literally, but it's really a way of assigning or relieving guilt.
And I've learned that when I find myself thinking in terms of "predicting will make it happen", I had best back up and proceed with care, because my subconscious has spotted something I'm not yet overtly aware of. For that purpose, it is very, very accurate.
As to prevention, I live
Re: (Score:2)
What the fuck?
The illegibility that you find so shocking would seem to come from the terminal the poster is using (based on their previous comments) the content would seem to come from the fact that all they appear to want to do is assert that various political view points are bad along with those who hold them regardless of how relevant it might be to the discussion at hand.
Or their views on the world may just be the result of living in Seattle and not having sex for 20 years, can't tell which is the cause and which is
Re: (Score:2)
I think greenwow is being one of the inbreds. http://tech.slashdot.org/comme... [slashdot.org] LOL
No Planes, no Trains (Score:2)
that leaves...?
Re: (Score:2)
Alcohol (Score:5, Funny)
According to the article, there was alcohol involved.
Re: (Score:3)
Well sure, if the drunk guy grabs the driver's tits.
Re: (Score:2)
Well sure, if the drunk guy grabs the driver's tits.
I had my headrest removed and then used to smack me in the back of the head while driving around a bunch of drunk friends once. Fortunately though, none of them tried to grab my tits.
Re: (Score:2)
A lot of wiring insulation these days is made of a soy-based material, critters love to chew on it!
News for nerds? (Score:3)
And this is news for nerds how?
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
More alarmingly, I just got a god damned auto playing overlay video ad.
Re: (Score:2)
More alarmingly, I just got a god damned auto playing overlay video ad.
Explain quickly why you're not blocking ads and scripts? Considering both are the most common methods of malware attacks against all OS's.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I guess you are forgetting the multitude of Flash and Java applet vulnerabilities that have come to light over the past few years, most of them cross platform in nature.
Re: (Score:2)
Ads supply the money that runs the web. As much as Dice blows, they need to make money to keep the site up. With the readership they are hanging on to they need all the hits they can get.
Re: (Score:2)
Hey this is cool in a nerdy sort of way.
Like Big Bertha in Seattle.
Re: (Score:2)
And this is news for nerds how?
because trains!
no problem (Score:2)
The cost. (Score:2)
I think the cost will be picked up the the railway, and by insurance so no biggie for Boeing except that they will be late in delivering those planes.
Re: (Score:2)
Wonder which airline(s) will be waiting longer for their planes.
Re: (Score:2)
That's assuming the planes aren't all the same spec, and the probably are (at least at this level since interiors haven't been fitted). They can just reassign planes and only 2 will be delayed.
Re: (Score:2)
Looks like Boeing currently have five 737 varients in production. Those being the 737-700, 737-700ER, 737-800, 737-900 & 737-900ER. So they may not all be of the same spec.
No problem... (Score:2)
A much better picture of the fuselages (Score:5, Informative)
http://i.imgur.com/EJVBCzL.jpg [imgur.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Now THAT is a fishing story.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
There are two in the background. one in the upper left, and the hint of one in the upper right. The last one is still probably on the car.
The closest one looks like's it's cracked almost in two, but the one one land might be salvagable.
Re: (Score:2)
Even if there is no obvious damage inspecting them to ensure that they are airworthy might not be worth it financially. There's also the issue of avoiding damage when attempting recovery.
Another marketing ploy (Score:3)
To lower the number of injuries per crash.
House boat and lake Pend Oreille (Score:2)
Two of them? Great would make an awesome houseboat. I wonder if you they would sell them for scrape.
The most surprising thing here. (Score:2)
Boeing still builds the 737...
Re:The most surprising thing here. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
I was in a 2013 model recently, and the Civic is still pretty damn noisy.
For the "its not news" crowd... (Score:3)
Its clearly not news, because it happens on a regular basis [newstalkkgvo.com] it seems.
Re: (Score:2)
I live next to the track that carries these fuselages through Montana. There's a siding here so it's a slow-speed area, thus subject to less than average stress. Even so MT Rail Link is out here once or twice a month repairing track, because our climate heaves it around pretty good no matter how well it's built. So yeah, there are going to be derailments once in a while.
I like someone's notion of salvaging a couple of 'em into the mother of all houseboats. :)
Strange. (Score:2)
A plane model that flew first in 1967 and an accident on a transportation system that's almost 2 centuries old.
I fail to see the nerd angle.
Can anybody enlighten me?
Re: (Score:2)
A plane model that flew first in 1967 and an accident on a transportation system that's almost 2 centuries old.
I fail to see the nerd angle.
Can anybody enlighten me?
Chesley Sullenberger [wikipedia.org] was driving the train.
Make me think of an old TV show... (Score:2)
UPDATE: 6 Fuselages involved; 5 heavily damaged (Score:2)
According to a photographer that hiked into the scene and posted his photographs, there were 6 (six) 737 fuselages on the train and 5 of those are heavily damaged:
Trainorders.com - Birds in the Water!!!! [trainorders.com]
The photographer also thinks this derailment will really screw up Boeing's 737 production:
The 737 bodies did remain firmly attached to the flatcars for the most part. The only one to show signs of weakness in mounting was the one with the huge crack around the middle. What is going to hurt Boeing is not only having 6 missing aircraft, but losing the 6 fuselage carrier car sets. I imagine both BNSF and Boeing want those cars sent to the repair shop ASAP!
Re: (Score:2)
Anyone else getting tired of sites demanding that you log in to see photos?
I don't care if it's a FREE account; I'm not going through the trouble of making an account I'll never use again just to see some photos!
Whoever came up with this practice needs to be forced to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special on infinite repeat. With the Boba Fett cartoon cut out.
Re:It is safer to fly (Score:5, Interesting)
Exactly! [airplane-pictures.net]
Re: (Score:2)
This train derailment not withstanding (and covered by insurance), wouldn't it make a lot more sense to freight the large pieces rather than flying them?
Re:It is safer to fly (Score:4, Informative)
I assume they only do that when behind schedule, same as the GE jet final assembly plant in Peebles, Ohio does. Truck or rail if on schedule, big honking cargo jet if behind.
Re: (Score:2)
Airbus has many plants around the world building parts for them. Sometimes air is the best way to go. If it had to go by boat, you have a lot of money invested in airframes stuck on a boat for a month or two. Assuming you didn't need custom cargo ships, I don't think those fuselages can fit in a container.
Re: (Score:3)
The largest container is 53 feet long. The largest common size is 40/45. So no, not going to fit.
Re: (Score:2)
Barge and tug. Not everything fits in a container.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You should see how airbus builds their planes.
In Europe not all the tunnels for trains are big enough for the pieces. So they use barges, and one big ass jet.
Re: (Score:2)
It's laying egg pods. Soon they'll hatch into baby planes.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Wonder if any fish will be flying first class?
I think it would be more appropriate to say, "It's a Sicilian Message. The first class sleeps with the fishes."
Re: (Score:3)
Before it cost Boing too much...(excuse the mock name) The Clark Fork River is really swift there as you can see in the picture.. Wonder if any fish will be flying first class?
Complete bullshit. It didn't "cost Boeing too much." They moved their headquarters and some of their manufacturing out of Washington State, because State legislators got sick and tired of their incessant demands for more tax loopholes, and told them no.
If they can't afford to pay taxes like everybody other goddamned business in the state, let them do business elsewhere. That seems like a pretty damned fair policy to me.
Re: (Score:2)
It works for Boeing, too. They just move out of state. Other parts of the country with lower costs can use the jobs.
Re: (Score:2)
It works for Boeing, too. They just move out of state. Other parts of the country with lower costs can use the jobs.
It wasn't "costs", per se, it was taxes. Granted, taxes are a cost but let's be specific about this.
Boeing, being one of the largest employers in the State, demanded ever more "tax breaks". State legislators finally had enough and told them NO. (This was a rather public series of events.) Boeing said "If you don't, we'll move our headquarters somewhere else." The State said (in effect): "Bye-bye! Say hello to whichever state is more willing to sell political influence for dollars."
And it didn't work o
Re: (Score:2)
Wichita has been building the 737 fuselages since at least the late eighties when I worked in that plant. As a tool designer, I did some work on fixtures used to join the cockpit (41 section) to the forward passenger compartment (43 section).
I stand corrected then. I was under the impression that they moved the fuselage assembly away when they moved headquarters.
Re: (Score:2)
Speaking of reading disabilities ... did you catch the part where the Wichita plants uses your darling Union workers?
Re: (Score:2)
Hiring workers that can read costs more. Considering none of the workers I dealt with at their plant in SC were able to read, of course they're cheaper. Hiring drooling moron six grade drop-outs is cheaper. Of course what isn't cheaper is all of the rework that is done. Because of the difficult job required due to the massive mistakes made by the idiots in SC, the rework must all be done by union workers. They are the only people in the world skilled enough to successfully fix the problems.
Sounds like they need to hire a Slashdot Anonymous Coward to be the CEO!
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Only in America (Score:4, Informative)
The government doesn't insist that they add anything to alcohol. I can go to the store and buy as much alcohol as I want. It is even legal for me to get a massive buzz from drinking it. Problem is that a lot of people do a lot of stupid things that are costly to society while drinking alcohol. So the government does insist that if you drink something that may end up costing society some money that you help to pay for the damage through increased taxes. The only problem there is that alcohol does have a lot of industrial uses. So if you are going to use your alcohol for something other than drinking then you shouldn't have to pay taxes to cover the cost of stupid things people tend to do while drunk. No problem. If you make your alcohol impossible to drink (but still usefull for industrial activities) then you don't have to pay taxes on it. The government only insists that if you do something that costs us all more money then you should have to pay some of it back via increased alcohol tax. Seems pretty reasonable to me.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
That would be great if the government paid for treatment for alcoholics, counseling for family wrecked by alcohol use, covered medical expenses for people who drink, cover damages by drink drivers, paid for medical expenses by people hurt by someone who was drunk, etc. When the money just goes to the general fund (and rarely a small slice of it for some small aspect of the damage) while not covering any of the actual damages, then no one is paying to cover the cost of stupid drunk people, except for drunk
Re: (Score:2)
That would be great if the government paid for treatment for alcoholics, counseling for family wrecked by alcohol use, covered medical expenses for people who drink, cover damages by drink drivers, paid for medical expenses by people hurt by someone who was drunk, etc
That's a non-sequitur. The cost is born by society. Government is the name of the body that we elect to represent society. If taxing an activity reduces it, which, in turn, reduces a cost that is born by society, then the government has done its job. The point of such taxation is to reintroduce externalities into the costs, so that the market will correctly adjust.
Re: (Score:2)
I used to get a lot of industrial ethanol when my work required it. Additives would have ruined it's use in that situation, but the answer was that I had to have a permit before I could buy a drum of the stuff. It was very cheap, not a lot more than petrol/gasoline per litre. There's more expensive stuff with a higher water content - it's very hard to distill etha
Re: (Score:3)
I think you meant to say 'lower water content'. Alcohol is an azeotrope [wikipedia.org] and is hard to get past 95% purity. Once you do, and you open it to air, poof, the water gets absorbed into the alcohol and you're back where you started from. Pretty expensive stuff.
Yes - lower water content (Score:2)
Some time in the late 1800s an enterprising German distillery was selling schnapps with greater than 95% alcohol. They did it by adding benzene to allow more water to be driven off, which worked but made it something of a poison.
Re:Only in America (Score:5, Informative)
You're petrified of a guy who finds a tax on alcohol reasonable? And who can explain why that tax is there?
Re:Only in America (Score:5, Insightful)
Your bullshit would be more compelling if only more concrete.
A lot of argument suggests the morning after pill causes abortions. A lot of argument suggests homosexuality is a choice. A lot of argument doesn't make it so.
Are the taxes disproportionate to impact or not? Say something real.
How did this get modded up (Score:3, Informative)
I love how on Slashdot how threads frequently go, Poster A:"Well, this is true (with not citations)" Poster B: "No, that is wrong (with no citations)." Poster C: "No, B is wrong because they provide no citations (still no citations for A or C)". No one is providing concrete numbers or citations. You chew someone out for not being concrete, but then turn around and still are no concrete yourself, making vague comparisons because the word "argument" gets used in a lot of places that have no relevance to th
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Again, as was pointed out by someone else to (one of) you, AC, I made no assertive claims which needed a citation. I can hardly be charged with "I'm right even though I did the exact same thing." Such false equivalence is a cheap crutch.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You can't prove a negative
It's called proof by contradiction.
Re: (Score:2)
And a lot of saying it is so does not make it so.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
They also largely exist for the purpose of protecting the market of established distilleries as new excise licences for distilleries (as opposed to breweries and wineries) are difficult or impossible to come by in most places with excise law.
I would find excise laws far less objectionable if licenses were available to anyone who applied for one. I have personally applied for and been denied an excise license for a distillery, so I have direct experience that licensing is a form of racketeering, the kind of
Re: (Score:2)
How is this even news unless you live in western MT?
Re: (Score:2)
what the fuck does that have to do with this story?
Re:Only in America (Score:4, Insightful)
Inappropriate title - I've lived in a lot of countries around the world and AFAICR they all had exactly the same system.
Re: (Score:2)
Which is why they stopped putting methanol in to discourage drinking some time before grandpa was a boy. The name "methlyated spirits" stuck without the methanol.
To get that methanol buzz and blindness and/or death you have to go to places like Bali where the locals make spirits for tourists without knowing or caring how to do it properly.
Why the link that doesn't prove anything? (Score:2)
Why do people play these pointless mass debate games with links that are not what the poster pretends they are? Is there that much of an ego boost in making people look like they are wrong that there's a need to fake it? If so, I made a bad typo on another thread where I mixed up "more" with "less" - if you want to kick this puppy go jump
Re: (Score:2)
Which would not be on sale to the general public because it is fucking poisonous.
What is it with clowns like you?
OK then - real but utterly stupid (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Oh, maybe to prevent it from being stolen to be used for those otherwise legitimate purposes.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah. the people who assemble Boeing's planes are wage slaves. Sure.
Re:Bang Ding Ow (Score:4, Funny)
Yes, my God, they expect you to show 5 days a week and do an honest days work! Damn those 1%ers!
Re: (Score:2)
You might want to 'buff up' your humor detector. Appears to be a bit rusty.