Help, what happened

[Qapla]

Many years ago we had a train hit a fully loaded cement truck. The train was moving very slow but it was still enough to derail the train and knock the cement truck over. They both had to lay there while a rail crane was brought in to lift them up. The train was placed back on the tracks and drove off under it's own power.

The cement truck wasn't badly hurt but was totaled since the concrete set up inside the drum and rendered the truck useless.

 

[/pine]

Many years ago we had a train hit a fully loaded cement truck. The train was moving very slow but it was still enough to derail the train and knock the cement truck over. They both had to lay there while a rail crane was brought in to lift them up. The train was placed back on the tracks and drove off under it's own power.

The cement truck wasn't badly hurt but was totaled since the concrete set up inside the drum and rendered the truck useless.

In the early 70's I saw a train going about 45mph hit a fully loaded concrete truck...the drum dislodged from the truck and spewed concrete everywhere...the driver was killed as well as a guy in Porsche 912 that had stopped for the train...something I will never forget...

The picture in the OP reminds me of the final scene from an horror movie "The Claw"

 

[dmccarty]

In the early 70's I saw a train going about 45mph hit a fully loaded concrete truck...the drum dislodged from the truck and spewed concrete everywhere...the driver was killed as well as a guy in Porsche 912 that had stopped for the train...something I will never forget...

I have been stopped in traffic at a RR crossing more than once where someone has stopped on the track. I have told myself, if a train comes down the track, I am running from the truck. Figure running 45 degrees back towards the trains direction of travel was safest.

Later,
Dan

 

[sam5570]

that look's like one of them shovel ready job's, what you think

 

[Looking4new]

The story goes that on Hwy 27 north of Toronto, back when they were building that road they had to go through a swampy area and they dumped everything they could into the swamp to try and find bottom. Old cars, a dozer sunk over night. I think that was in the '40's. No environmental concerns then.

 

[The Haymaker]

The cement truck wasn't badly hurt but was totaled since the concrete set up inside the drum and rendered the truck useless.

They could've saved the truck, they just didn't use the right technique.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Many years ago we had a train hit a fully loaded cement truck. The train was moving very slow but it was still enough to derail the train and knock the cement truck over. They both had to lay there while a rail crane was brought in to lift them up. The train was placed back on the tracks and drove off under it's own power.

The cement truck wasn't badly hurt but was totaled since the concrete set up inside the drum and rendered the truck useless.

If the truck was totaled, I am sure it was more damage that what appeared to be. Drums are replaceable for a fraction of the cost of the truck and they do wear out much faster than the truck so that really is an expendable item. I would imagine that the frame and axles were all bent along with the drum. Concrete can be chipped out of the drum also.
Did you know that putting 5 to 10 pounds of sugar into a full drum of concrete will keep it from setting up -FOREVER. If they have power to rotate the drum to mix it up a bit, the sugar will allow it to set for days and not harden.
We had a full 8 yards poured into forms for furnace supports and it wouldn't harden. It crusted over on the outside and they removed the forms and it looked good till an electrician tried to drill a hole for a concrete anchor to hold some PVC for a ground cable and the drill just went in like it was putty. They let it set for 28 days and it never got any harder. Laborers took it out with shovels and water hoses to remove the wet concrete. Rebar was still ok so after reforming, it was poured again. Of course the supplier paid for that, plus the labor to remove it and repour. THEY took samples and sent them to the lab to see why it wouldn't harden. It was tested for sugar and none was found and the cement content was per the mix design but it just wouldn't hydrate> It may as well have used dry clay powder rather than cement.

 

[pat32rf]

I've been told that some drivers carry a case of coke to dump into the drum in the event of an accident that is going to prevent delivery....

 

[GManBart]

I've been told that some drivers carry a case of coke to dump into the drum in the event of an accident that is going to prevent delivery....

I drove mixer trucks for 5 summers in HS and college, and never heard of that. I'm not saying it isn't done, but I'm not sure how I would work. If the truck can power the barrel, the concrete won't set up if you keep it turning very slowly, and give it a little shot of water now and then (one exception would be in extremely hot weather). If the truck is in an accident, and can't power the barrel, there's no way to mix anything in the concrete to slow it from hardening.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I drove mixer trucks for 5 summers in HS and college, and never heard of that. I'm not saying it isn't done, but I'm not sure how I would work. If the truck can power the barrel, the concrete won't set up if you keep it turning very slowly, and give it a little shot of water now and then (one exception would be in extremely hot weather). If the truck is in an accident, and can't power the barrel, there's no way to mix anything in the concrete to slow it from hardening.

You are right if motor breaks down, not much to do other than get out the jackhammer and chip out the concrete from the drum (I have seen that happening at a batch plant and they also have to occasionally chip off the vanes in the drum or it doesn't mix correctly when they are loaded up with hardened concrete) A flat tire on the road is enough delay for the concrete to set and if it is very hot weather the 100 gallons of water that they carry wont stop the concrete from hardening but 10 pounds of sugar will stop it indefinitely if you can mix it in.