(Photo: KHOU)
KHOU Staff, KHOU.com
August 10, 2015
OLD TOWN SPRING, TEXAS
A Union Pacific train carrying livestock feed derailed near the Hardy Toll Road Monday evening.
No injuries were reported and after 13 cars lost their load.
In a statement to The Associated Press, spokesman Francisco Castillo (cas-TEE'-yoh) said the rear locomotive on the 110-car grain train was southbound to Galveston when the derailment happened. The locomotive leaked about 20 gallons of diesel fuel and entire carloads of grain were dumped.
No cause has been determined for the derailment. The extent of track damage also was not immediately known.
Hazmat was called to the scene because crews saw liquid leaking. It was later determined to be diesel fuel from the engine.
Large lifts and cranes were brought in to clear the scene and officials said it likely wouldn’t be clear until at least Tuesday morning. The derailment is expected to cause traffic delays on Spring School road and Hardy Road until the scene is cleared.
A man said he got a first-hand look at the train topple.
“All of a sudden it started weebling and wobbling and I’m like, ‘Oh, lord, this is gonna be bad,’” said Tony Baranowski.
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HazMat crew clearing train derailment scene in Spring
SPRING, TX (KTRK) --
Crews are working to remove a train that derailed Monday afternoon in Spring.Six cargo cars ended up just feet away from spilling into the 2600 block of West Hardy.
Grain was tossed everywhere, and the rear locomotive car was left on its side, leaking diesel. Officials say the engineer wasn't hurt.
Rhonda Watson sitting in her car, waiting for the train to pass.
"As I look at the caboose, it is like wobbling," Watson said.
That wobble quickly turned into a tumble.
"It was going it just like dominoes effect," she said.
Sources close to the investigation say Union Pacific is looking into wether excessive heat caused the tracks to expand.
Crews now working into the night, cleaning up and hoping to get things back on track by morning.