Derailment

[Anonymous]

Train wreck's cause a mystery

By John Tompkins The Facts

Published June 10, 2008

LIVERPOOL - Railroad investigators still were looking Monday for the cause of a train wreck that ended with 18 rail cars on their side, two damaged rail lines and a major roadway into Liverpool closed indefinitely.

A spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, which owned the cars, said workers for the rail were able to open up the railway to traffic late Saturday afternoon.

The 18 cars derailed on a side track near the intersection of CR 192 in Liverpool at about noon Friday. About a dozen residents who lived adjacent to the tracks were evacuated as a precaution but were later allowed back into their homes.

Several cars broke open and leaked paraffin wax, plastic pellets and wheat.

It was on its way to Corpus Christi from Temple, and the only toxic substance on the mixed freight train was the diesel in the engine, which did not derail, Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Joe Faust said.

Police for the railway had not determined any preliminary causes for the wreck, he said.

"The cause is still under investigation," Faust said. "We don't even want to speculate."

A spokesman Union Pacific, which owns the damaged railway, declined to comment about the wreck, saying jurisdiction in train accidents falls on the owner of the cars.

"They're handling everything," said Gene Hinkle, spokesman for Union Pacific.

Vehicular traffic to Liverpool still cannot enter or exit CR 192 as the intersection at the tracks near Main Street still is closed, awaiting repair, Liverpool Police Chief Miles Hopkins said.

Workers have built an asphalt road to the accident scene to allow access for heavy machinery, Hopkins said.

"They're completely rebuilding the side track," he said. "They have not removed any of the damaged cars yet."

Rail officials do not know when the second line will be repaired or when the rail cars will be removed, Faust said. Workers were able to get the cars upright, and they do not pose a threat to those living nearby, Faust said.

"Once they're upright, we make sure they're safe," he said.

Officials might be able to open up CR 192 to traffic today, though "there's no guarantees," Hopkins said.

[Anonymous]

Can't believe that some wingding

Wingding? What is a Wingding? You know I had to .

You know you can use a stronger word.

Toad

[Anonymous]

Would say it was kids.....

[ttrigg]

Hopefully the $10,000 reward offerd by BNSF will get the culprits behind bars (metal ones) plus a lock on the door. 

Then I hope they forget where they put the key!

[Great Western]

Rene,

The alarming thing about this seems to me to be the fact that it was reported a while before the wreck and a police officer, with quite some considerable effort, removed it from the ROW.  It was put back again which sugests that the lunatics who did this were not far away - even watching maybe.

Hopefully the $10,000 reward offerd by BNSF will get the culprits behind bars (metal ones) plus a lock on the door. 

[Rene Schweitzer]

Great Western, I saw photos of the Denver derailment. Can't believe that some wingding put a stump on the track. How terrible.

[Anonymous]

As of other day RoadMaster and RailMaster still did not know.

Byron on the other hand said it could have been heat. We been gettn 92 degrees here now.

Toad

[ttrigg]

After close inspection of the original unretouched photograph, it can easily be seen that there was

A Toad On The Tracks!

[Great Western]

There has been a derailment near Denver of a BNSF train.  It was caused, I understand, by a tree stump having been placed on the ROW!

 Photos can be seen at:

                     www.coloradorailfan.com

[g. gage]

Reminds me of my problem. Winds often swoop down east Sierra Nevada slopes sometimes blowing a whole 15 car or so 1:29 train off the tracks including locos. I've been working on wind breaks, plants and buildings. However sometimes I find buildings on forest service land behind my place.

Last year I found it is prototypical. A UP train crossing our valley had 20 double stacks blow of the tracks in a 100mph gust.

Railroading is fun.   

[Great Western]

Boy what a mess Toad.

 It's nice to be a bystander sometimes. 

I had the making of that scenario on my RR today -  luckily I heard the wheels clattering on the ties. 

[Anonymous]

Not to normal down here.

BN-SF train and UP Road

Emergency workers survey the damage of a train that derailed Friday June 6, 2008, near in Liverpool, Texas., about 30 miles south of Houston. No one was injured and no hazardous chemicals were released in the accident. (AP Photo/The Brazosport Facts, Dan Dalstra)

Yesterday I went to see it upclose and personal and yeah all my buddies was there. They ask if I was going to work, told them oh yeah I will suck on water and watch ya'll.

Very sobering, no trainmen were lost.

Toad