Train derailment - Montana, possible ethanol train

[~Z~]

http://www.krtv.com/news/train-derailme ... e-montana/

Huge fireball:

[Saturnalia]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/06/70 ... latestnews

Officials say 16 rail cars caught fire and six exploded after a freight train derailed in an unpopulated area of eastern Montana, sending at least one fiery mushroom cloud into the sky.

Melonas says crews have to replace about 1,100 feet of track and expected to have the line open by Wednesday.

[dmitzel]

I'm glad this was much, much farther west along the old Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension mainline than MP 763.9 - my family's hometown.

Lots of old MILW stick-rail still on the Mobridge and Hettinger Subdivisions - put down in the late '40s. Battered ends and missing spikes galore due to all the joint pumping - unit coal trains have beat the rail to heck. BNSF is putting down new welded in spots, but obviously not enough soon enough.

[BB]

Here's the NS version yesterday in North Carolina without fire.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/0 ... orces.html

[railohio]

BNSF is putting down new welded in spots, but obviously not enough soon enough.

I didn't realize the cause for this derailment was already determined.