anotherdream

We saying the truck rammed the train here? Not T-boned as per the popular narrative?

WhiteRonin

Good question. I am gonna look for other pictures.

IIJOSEPHXII

So the train was coming from right to left?

WhiteRonin

In this picture yes.

Like_it_is

That debris field doesn't look right. It's has boundaries too evenly defined for being violently tossed by an impact.

WhiteRonin

In this picture it doesn't really look like a garbage truck ...

Inara__Serra

It's physics. It wasn't t-boned. Heavy load in one end light in the other. The train hit the cab and drew it along. That swung the box into the train. That impact caused the box to rebound. The front of the box tuck the ground and it recoiled back along side the track in the direction the train was approaching from.

WhiteRonin

Here's a video of trains hitting various vehicles . https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G1f-EBzS_lg&feature=youtu.be

I don't see how the debris would go down track that far.

Inara__Serra

It is a matter of weight distribution in the box and it's center of gravity. The eccentric motions after being hit are the result of the box being pulled forward by the motion of the train, but recoiling backwards when the front of the box jammed into the ground and spinning around. A fully loaded garbage truck runs about 25 tons (I just looked it up). Most for that weight is the machinery in back to compress the garbage. I believe that when the front jammed into the ground, the box flex and then pushed backwards. I'd love to set up a simulation for this but I don't quite have the chops for it. My physics is more energy oriented.

WhiteRonin

That doesn't look like a typical garbage truck. Don't forget the pivot point of the bed is probably over the rear axles for a normal garbage truck set up.

Inara__Serra

https://imgoat.com/uploads/778d5d219c/81587.jpg

Right. Most of weight is in the rear. You can see all of the heavy machinery in that pic. After it was hit, you can dismiss the cab.

The article I found said the average truck carries about 9 tons of garbage and other ~16 tons is the truck

Sullysq

Thanks. Came to say basically this.

The majority of the mass was not the point of impact, weight is in the box and the impact was closer tot he cab. So as the cab accelerates it's grounded by the weight of the box causing it to circle around. When necessary velocity to move the box end is reached the trajectory is in the other direction, like a hammer throw.

WhiteRonin

Do you know what kind of garbage truck it was? I was thinking the type.

Here's a video I also posted. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G1f-EBzS_lg&feature=youtu.be its different types of train collisions.