It was caused by a hot wheel. A hot wheel is when a wheel truck under a railcar seizes up for whatever reason and starts dragging along the rail. If a train with a hot wheel continues along track at speed long enough, that wheel is eventually going to get so hot it will melt off the truck, collapse, and cause what we saw in East Palestine. Most railroad companies have hot-wheel detectors along their tracks at certain intervals. They are thermal sensors that scan each wheel as they pass by to check their temperatures. When they detect a hot wheel, the engineer is notified of this, and he is supposed to reduce speed to a very slow rate. At CSX it was 15MPH, and even slower if carrying HazMat IIRC. 5MPG. So NS is at fault because A. They did not have enough hot-wheel detectors along their route, or B. The engineer ignored the hot-wheel warning and kept the train steaming ahead at full speed. End of line.
OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT Video Shows Norfolk Southern Train with Axle(s) on Fire Miles Before Derailment. Evidence Suggests at Least 40 Minutes Before Derailment | The Gateway Pundit Pete Buttigieg rep tells 'aggressive' reporter to turn off camera at Ohio derail site Joy Behar Suggests Residents of East Palestine Got What They Deserved by Voting for Trump: “That’s Who You Voted For!” President Trump Provides Timeline of Biden and Buttigieg Activities Past 20 Days While Ignoring East Palestine, Ohio | The Gateway Pundit THE REAL VICTIM: Democrats Complain About 'Republican Attacks' on Buttigieg Following Ohio Train Disaster | The Gateway Pundit Trump Forgets to Mention the Train Safety Regulations He Gutted During Visit to East Palestine, Ohio | Vanity Fair 'Political pawns': Livid railway workers warn Biden's union agreement will 'definitely' impact next election | Fox News Rail workers speak out after Biden forces unions to accept deal: 'He turned his back' | Fox Business
The railroad claimed they would take care of everything. It appears that it is time for the Feds to step in. Norfolk Southern balks at compensating homeowners in East Palestine https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/12/homes/norfolk-southern-east-palestine-home-values/index.html
Ohio files federal lawsuit against Norfolk Southern over East Palestine derailment, state’s attorney general says https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/us/ohio-norfolk-southern-lawsuit/index.html