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Ricken Tunnel Railway Accident
The Ricken Tunnel railway accident killed six crew members of a freight train and three rescuers on October 4, 1926, through carbon monoxide poisoning in the Ricken Tunnel between Kaltbrunn and Wattwil in the Swiss Alps. The Ricken Tunnel lies under the Ricken Pass and is part of the single-track SBB-operated Uznach–Wattwil line. It is long, with a cross-sectional area of and a constant incline of 15.75 ‰. The tunnel lacks artificial ventilation. The tunnel was widely disliked by railway personnel during the era of steam operation due to the danger of gas buildup. The crew of passenger train #3616, which left Wattwil earlier that morning at 11:05 am and arrived in Kaltbrunn at 11:20 am, did not notice any significant gas buildup in the tunnel. Accident At 11:55 am, freight train #6854 left Kaltbrunn station. The train, led by a B 3/4 steam locomotive, had six Swiss Federal Railways personnel aboard and a trailing load of . It entered the tun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ricken Tunnel
The Ricken Tunnel () is an long rail tunnel under the Ricken Pass in eastern Switzerland. It is on the Swiss Federal Railway Uznach–Wattwil railway line, Uznach–Wattwil line, between Kaltbrunn railway station, Kaltbrunn station and Wattwil railway station, Wattwil station. The tunnel, which accommodates a single track through, is relatively straight and has a constant incline of 15.75 ‰ from Kaltbrunn to Wattwill. The Ricken Tunnel was constructed between 1904 and 1910, and was initially used by steam locomotives, steam-hauled trains. Following Ricken Tunnel railway accident, a fatal incident on 4 October 1926 in which nine railway employees died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in the poorly ventilated tunnel, the line and tunnel were both electrified during 1927. The geology surrounding the tunnel is somewhat unfavourable, the rocks being prone to swelling and damaging the tunnel walls over time, necessitating repeated repairs and the occasional closure. Duri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Briquettes
A briquette (; also spelled briquet) is a compressed block of coal dust or other combustible biomass material (e.g. charcoal, sawdust, wood chips, peat, or paper) used for fuel and kindling to start a fire. The term is a diminutive derived from the French word ''brique'', meaning brick. Coal briquettes Coal briquettes have long been produced as a means of using up 'small coal', the finely broken coal inevitably produced during the mining process. Otherwise this is difficult to burn as it is hard to arrange adequate airflow through a fire of these small pieces; also such fuel tends to be drawn up and out of the chimney by the draught, giving visible black smoke. The first briquettes were known as culm bombs and were hand-moulded with a little wet clay as a binder. These could be difficult to burn efficiently, as the unburned clay produced a large ash content, blocking airflow through a grate. With Victorian developments in engineering, particularly the hydraulic press, it b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Self-contained Breathing Apparatus
A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is a respirator worn to provide an autonomous supply of breathable gas in an atmosphere that is immediately dangerous to life or health from a gas cylinder. They are typically used in firefighting and industry. The term ''self-contained'' means that the SCBA is not dependent on a remote supply of breathing gas (e.g., through a long hose). They are sometimes called industrial breathing sets. Some types are also referred to as a compressed air breathing apparatus (CABA) or simply breathing apparatus (BA). Unofficial names include ''air pack'', ''air tank'', ''oxygen cylinder'' or simply ''pack'', terms used mostly in firefighting. If designed for use under water, it is also known as a scuba set (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). An open circuit SCBA typically has three main components: a high-pressure gas storage cylinder, (e.g., , about 150 to 374 atmospheres), a pressure regulator, and a respiratory interface, which may ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Passenger Railroad Car
A passenger railroad car or passenger car (American English), also called a passenger carriage, passenger coach (British English and International Union of Railways), or passenger bogie (Indian English) is a railroad car that is designed to carry passengers, usually giving them space to sit on train seats. The term ''passenger car'' can also be associated with a sleeping car, a baggage car, a dining car, railway post office and prisoner transport cars. The first passenger cars were built in the early 1800s with the advent of the first railroads, and were small and little more than converted freight cars. Early passenger cars were constructed from wood; in the 1900s construction shifted to steel and later aluminum for improved strength. Passenger cars have increased greatly in size from their earliest versions, with modern bi-level passenger cars capable of carrying over 100 passengers. Amenities for passengers have also improved over time, with developments such as lighting, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anticyclone
A high-pressure area, high, or anticyclone, is an area near the surface of a planet where the atmospheric pressure is greater than the pressure in the surrounding regions. Highs are middle-scale meteorological features that result from interplays between the relatively larger-scale dynamics of an entire planet's atmospheric circulation. The strongest high-pressure areas result from masses of cold air which spread out from polar regions into cool neighboring regions. These highs weaken once they extend out over warmer bodies of water. Weaker—but more frequently occurring—are high-pressure areas caused by atmospheric subsidence: Air becomes cool enough to precipitate out its water vapor, and large masses of cooler, drier air descend from above. Within high-pressure areas, winds flow from where the pressure is highest, at the center of the area, towards the periphery where the pressure is lower. However, the direction is not straight from the center outwards, but curved du ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MeteoSwiss
MeteoSwiss, officially the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, is an office of the federal administration of Switzerland. It employs 290 people at locations in Zurich, Zurich Airport, Geneva, Locarno and Payerne. History Originally established as the Central Meteorological Institute (MZA), by 1863 it operated 88 weather stations. Its name was changed in 1979 to ''Swiss Meteorological Institute'' (SMA). Since 1996, it has been operating as MeteoSwiss. Since 2006, its official name is "Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss". Function The office observes the weather around the clock, creating weather forecasts and alerting authorities and population, when strong winds, heavy rainfall, storms or heat waves are forecast. In addition, it provides weather services for the civil, military and private aviation. The office also carries out a program of research and development to understand the weather and climate in the Alps. They also officially represent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suffocated
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are many circumstances that can induce asphyxia, all of which are characterized by the inability of a person to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death. In 2015, about 9.8 million cases of unintentional suffocation occurred which resulted in 35,600 deaths. The word asphyxia is from Ancient Greek "without" and , "squeeze" (throb of heart). Causes Situations that can cause asphyxia include but are not limited to: airway obstruction (such as from asthma, laryngospasm, or simple blockage from the presence of foreign materials); from being in environments where oxygen is not readily accessible: such as underwater, in a low oxygen atmosphere, or in a vacuum; environments where suffi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
