Video: CSX train derails in Upstate New York, spills coal
In what might be called a case of destructive deja vu, a CSX freight train derailed Thursday morning in the town of Palmyra - not far from the site of similar derailment almost five years ago.
According to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, 20 cars jumped the tracks at about 12:30 a.m. There were no injuries, and the cars were carrying no hazardous materials, deputies said. The derailment, however, did cause severe damage to the tracks and spilled an estimated 2 million pounds of coal.
A number of people came out to look at the wreckage. They included Orest Ohluk from Webster, a train enthusiast who spends a few hours every day standing by the side of railroad tracks taking pictures and watching trains go by.
After getting out of work early and hearing about the derailment of the 105-car train, he grabbed his camera and headed that way.
"I have seen a lot of derailments," he said while standing just a few feet away from one of overturned cars which was on top of a giant pile of coal and sludge. "They are going to be here all day."
He was talking about work crews from CSX and independent contractors who were busy using cranes and other heavy equipment to lift the overturned cars off the ground.
According to Wayne County Sheriff Richard Pisciotti, the train was eastbound, parallel to Division Street and across from a business, Finzer Roller, when 20 cars "flipped." Pisciotti said the train left Buffalo about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday for Fort Drum.
"An axle barring may have failed which caused the axle to come off the car," the sheriff said. "And that's what caused the derailment."
It was a messy scene since each car was carrying 100,000 pounds of coal.
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<param value="transparent" name="wmode" />width="425" height="355" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/StNEJuJc35Yhl=en"></embed></object> Officials from CSX, the state Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration were on the scene Thursday. Pisciotti said the cleanup should take all day. Ohluk was one of several at the scene of the rubble. Many had cameras and even notebooks. Curious passers-by had also stopped to see what was going on. Ohluk said the derailment would prevent him from checking out other areas of track."This is the Chicago main line, nothing is moving out here," he said, shaking his head. "CSX is losing a lot of money." The sheriff said new technology should make this cleanup go more quickly than the effort following the accident five years ago. The company has been dogged by crashes and derailments in Upstate New York in recent years. "I will be bringing this up at our next Village Board meeting to see what we can do to put pressure on the CSX company to safeguard the tracks and make sure our citizens are safe," Palmyra Village Board Trustee David Husk said Thursday. Deputy Town Supervisor Dave Nussbaumer said that the Town Board, too, would discuss the derailment at a future board meeting. However, he said, their hands are tied as far as taking any action. "We have no authority over the railroad tracks," he said while watching from his television set tons of coal being scooped out of an overturned car. "There's tons and tons and tons of coal there." Nussbaumer said that although inspection of the crossings and switches has been ramped up over the past few years, he still thinks more can be done when it comes to checking the cars themselves. "Who knows when they were last inspected," he said. U.S. Rep. Randy Kuhl, who has been critical of CSX, released a statement following the accident."This morning's train derailment is another example of the desperate necessity to improve rail safety in Western New York. Today I once again call on the Federal Railroad Administration to investigate the cause of this derailment and identify what must be done to create a safer, more efficient rail system for everyone. These incidents are far too common and we must act now to ensure that the next derailment does not lead to loss of life." <em>Daily Messenger writer Julie Sherwood can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 263, or at jsherwood@mpnewspapers.com.