(The Peoria Journal Star posted the following article by Matt Buedel on its website on July 1.)
GALESBURG, Ill. — Twelve Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail tanker cars — three full of a flammable liquid — derailed early Monday in the train yard while being pushed by a remote control locomotive.
No injuries or evacuations were caused by the accident, which occurred at 2:30 a.m. Ten of the 12 cars remained upright, and nine of them were empty. The two that overturned were full of benzene, which did not leak.
The derailed cars were removed by 2 p.m.
Galesburg firefighters spent nearly 12 hours at the scene, with an unmanned fire hose pointed at the downed tankers in case the explosive cargo ignited, according to battalion Chief Tom Simkins. He said the fire department was leaving the investigation up to the railroad.
BNSF spokesman Steve Forsberg said the railroad is investigating the cause of the accident, and he would not speculate about why the cars jumped off the track.
Forsberg, who operates out of BNSF’s Midwestern headquarters in Kansas City, Kan., said the tankers were part of a 92-car string that was being assembled for a trip to Memphis, Tenn.
The cars were being pushed onto a departure track by a remote-control engine when the 12 tankers, which were between cars 13 and car 29, derailed. No. 14 was the first to leave the track, with 15, 23 and 24 not derailing.
“It was a remote-controlled switching engine that was pushing the cars,” Forsberg said, adding there was no indication the remote-controlled engine was a factor in the derailment.
Two weeks ago, the City Council voted down a resolution that would have requested a review by the Federal Railroad Administration of the safety of remote-control locomotives and regulations for their use. The measure failed because council members felt they did not have the authority to make such a request.
Forsberg said that since BNSF began using remote-controlled locomotives in its rail yards all over the country, there has been a 40 percent reduction in derailments. He said use of a remote control allows engineers to be alongside the train instead of using hand signals to communicate with other rail workers along the track.