When you calculate the total amount of weight being moved, the kinetic energy of a loaded freight train that is suddenly out of control becomes a frightening thing. When tons and tons of steel and cargo are forced to dig into dirt and gravel and trestle ties, the energy of that weight has to be dissipated somehow, otherwise it’ll keep on going until friction overcomes movement. A train derailment is, effectively, a violent physics demonstration, one that many people got to witness first-hand when a CN train carrying grain derailed north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019. While the investigation into what caused the 52-car train to derail is still ongoing, dashcam footage captured on both sides of the track showcase what happened clear as a bell: freight hoppers tumbling in the snow as the cars stacked up like cordwood just past the intersection of the rail line and Highway 11. Fortunately there were no injuries, there was only grain in the cars and the only major issue was a fire caused by leaking fuel oil from one of the power units that was extinguished hours after the derailment occurred. What’s that statement about “an object in motion stays in motion until…”?

(Thanks to Kevin Brown for the tip!)