That's an amazing photo- those are definitely superheater elements. I'd guess the front flue sheet failed, which must have been a VERY rare failure.(I do remember seeing a photo of a failed one in Cuba after a lousy job of clad-welding was attempted to repair corrosion.) I'm amazed that the superheater header apparently remained in place with the elements attached.

That was C&O # 3020 (T-1 2-10-4) neat Chillicothe, OH in 1948, from a Superheater malfunction.
http://cohs.org/repository/Archives/cohs/web/cohs-6198.jpg
Here's another view of the same accident:
http://cohs.org/repository/Archives/cohs/web/cohs-6199.jpg

Is that like a wardrobe malfunction?

In any case, yes, that's obviously some sort of malfunction, but did they give any specifics on exactly how this set of superheater tubes decided to imitate a spaghetti explosion?

I don't know why Mr. Austin did not add this to this discussion (perhaps we've become too chatty) because the text he has cited, and displayed, directly address the issue that started this thread. Seems the answer has been known for 110 years now.

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34567

[quote="BobharbisonIn any case, yes, that's obviously some sort of malfunction, but did they give any specifics on exactly how this set of superheater tubes decided to imitate a spaghetti explosion?[/quote]

Humman error - they were inadvertantly first installed inside out.

dave

My guess,(and it is usually off) is the connection between the boiler dry pipe and the throttle parted. The throttle goes sailing out the front end and takes the SH header with it leaving the SH tubes in a heck of a mess.
PR

Take a second look the units are still attached to the header, if the header left the smokebox it would have taken the units with it as that is the only attachment point.
Mike Tillger

My guess is that the header blew forward until it caught on the stack/petticoat pipe, stopped, and turned over. As it turned over it pulled the units out of the flues, basically bending them double as it pulled them out, then the volume of steam flow straightened them and splayed them out. Must have been an awful lot of pressure in the smokebox at one point, as it blew the whole front off.

Where is the ICC accident report? The DOT website as a bunch of them scanned, but it must only be a representative sample. Seems to be a whole bunch I can't find for incidents I have dates for.

Did you read the part about me making guesses?

The pile of spaghetti is type E superheater elements that were vomitted out as the result of a crown sheet failure. Note that the elements are still attached at the upper portion of the smokebox indicating that the front end throttle and superheater header are still intact. The elements have been forced out of the superheater flues toward the front of the locomotive without seperating them from the header. The type E units are much more flexible than type A's due to their shape. I doubt this would have happened in a locomotive equipped with type A units. Other pictures of this incident that are floating around out there show the damage at the rear of the boiler better.

http://www.waverlyinfo.com/page.php?ID=3454

Toward the bottom of the page.... "Northbound C & O Train Wreck 12 May 1948 two miles south of Chillicothe, OH" 3 killed in explosion.