(The following story by Laura McVicker appeared on The Columbian website on July 26.)
COLUMBIA, Wash. — Several cars derailed Saturday morning at a Vancouver rail yard, causing minor delays for Amtrak and BNSF trains traveling through Clark County.
The derailment happened at about 6:15 a.m., when one car was switching and connecting with other cars and fell off the tracks at the BNSF rail yard beneath the Mill Plain Boulevard overpass, striking two other cars.
These derailed cars then struck a freight train traveling on a major line adjacent to the rail yard, according to BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas.
That’s when the Vancouver freight bound for Pasco carrying particle board and flour fell off the tracks, blocking both lanes of the east-west line.
Crews worked throughout the day to put all fives cars back on track and clean materials thrown when the trains collided, Melonas said.
Delays for Amtrak customers only amounted to minutes, as trains were detoured along tracks in the rail yard unaffected by the derailment, he said.
One lane should open at 7 p.m. Saturday, and the second lane was expected to open by 4 a.m.
There were no injuries and no hazardous materials spilled, Melonas said.
BNSF officials don’t know what caused the cars to derail.