Quote:
Originally Posted by tcar
Still wondering how the crash progressed...
The loco is in good shape,
The car behind it looked like it was rolled up, folded and crushed by something. Cannot figure out that happened to that car only.
Other 6 cars look pretty intact, the last 2 were still sitting on the roadbed.
Why was the first car totally destroyed?
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NTSB showed a computer simulation of the accident based on the evidence so far. In the simulation, the locomotive leaves the track in nearly a straight line after decoupling from the cars. The locomotive moves fairly upright until it comes to a complete stop.
The first car, however, immediately turns away from its forward direction as the front digs into the ground and the cars behind smash into the rear of the car. It is pushed, crushed, and is rolled by the forces behind--the other cars. The result is near obliteration of the first car.
I've tried to find the animation, but have not been able to locate the one that was shown as an NTSB news conference was being held. It is not the one which shows the derailment and all the cars appear intact. This one was very detailed in the path of the locomotive and the different paths taken by the other cars, with the first car receiving such devastating damage.