Three GOOD things about this derailment.
1. There were no injuries ofr fatalities.
2. It occurred in the middle of no where, so no civilians or structures were in danger.
3. It was ethanol which will burn but NOT explode like crude oil.
Could wish that someone had included a 'before' picture of the bridge. One photo, on Microsoft Edge, showed that the locos and a covered hopper (buffer car) ran a few hundred feet and then were parked clear of the little rural road crossing that the local fire responders used to access the fire. The first tank car is at the bottom of the fill, the second is on the fill and the third is the lighter-appearing one balanced over the bridge abutment.
So an ethanol train derailed, there was a clear-flame fire (NASTY!!) but the local fire companies dealt with it. Then it was put on Microsoft Edge - and every technologically unqualified ignoramus immediately piled on. The first poster wanted to know why there wasn't a pipeline to handle the ethanol. (If he knew anything about ethanol he could have answered his own question.) Another thought that the county/state/Federal government might have owned the bridge. (??) Then the usual political rat-fight started, and I came here to read some saner comments.
I'll be back later. Hopefully, there will be more hard information.
Chuck
7 cars of a 98 car ethanol train derailed, with at least one catching fire. Bridge collapse?
http://ktar.com/story/644341/10-ethanol-tanker-cars-derail-2-catch-fire-in-south-dakota/
http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2015/09/19/ethanol-cars-derail-catch-fire-southeast-south-dakota/72471408/
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.