Friday, March 6, 2015

NEW ENGLAND CENTRAL RAILROAD SAYS A FAILURE OF A WHEEL BEARING THAT HEATED UP IS TO BLAME FOR A DERAILMENT IN ESSEX JCT. 15 TANK CARS WERE CARRYING LIQUEFIED PROPANE, SO ANOTHER DISASTER WAS AVERTED.



 








MARCH 6, 2015

ESSEX JUNCTION, VERMONT

After 10 p.m. Thursday night, a train derailed in Essex Junction.

"There were sparks coming from one of the tanker cars," Essex Police Lt. Robert Kissinger said.

There were 53 cars, 15 carrying liquefied propane. But all it took for the ensuing traffic headache near the Five Corners intersection was just one of those cars to derail. New England Central Railroad says a failure of a wheel bearing that heated up is to blame.

These tank cars were the DOT-112J340W standard.

"I didn't even know about it until I got here, actually. And when we came, I had to go around the other way," said Shane Houle, who owns A.J.'s Kitchen.
At A.J.'s Kitchen, they say the morning chaos was actually pretty good for business. Workers and curious residents stopped in at the restaurant.
"It kind of helped us out a little bit," Houle said.

Overall, it was a minor, low-speed incident with no injuries and no material release. New England Central Railroad says the train was traveling at just 4 mph and the train's emergency systems worked as they should.

"Lift the car, put a new axle and wheels on, no structural damage to the roadway. So, once they get that taken care of, we are open for business," Kissinger said.

New England Central Railroad tells us there was an Amtrak delay as a result of the derailment. But shortly after noon, the derailed train car was back on track and all the roadways were clear again.

I'm really glad that this wasn't a major catastrophe. The derailment of the 1/15 cars carrying liquefied propane, which happened in relative proximity to a gas station, fire station, many businesses, and busy town intersection in one of the most populated towns in VT is a frightening reminder of disasters like the ones in Lac-Mégantic and West Virginia.

Wake up people.  A train going at only 4 miles per hour and yet derails and it was carrying liquified .  This is the scariest thing I have ever heard.
Source: www.wcax.news