(The following appeared at NewsNet5.com on February 19.)
PAINESVILLE, Ohio — What caused a westbound CSX train to derail four months ago, triggering a major evacuation in Painesville?
The official investigation is still under way, but NewsChannel5 chief investigator Duane Pohlman uncovered a Federal Railroad Administration report documenting the early stages of the accident, which could provide a key clue.
CSX almost immediately pointed to faulty tracks as causing a near-catastrophe.
Just after noon on Oct. 10, the train tumbled off the tracks and hazardous cargo erupted in a fireball. Nearly 1,500 people were forced to evacuate the area.
Shirley Kadet was one of the evacuees. She and other neighbors are still curious about what caused the derailment.
The federal report points to crumbling tracks. In an initial report to the Federal Railroad Administration, CSX reported the cause as head and web separation.
This means that as the steel of the tracks weakens, it can fracture on the vertical portion called the web.
With enormous pressure from the weight above, the top of the rail, called the head, simply separates and falls away.
The track disintegrates, taking the train with it.
The FRA said there is no official cause yet, and that the investigation is continuing.
But the reported that the track may have disintegrated disturbs residents, and those living near the tracks said they remain afraid.
CSX said it stands by its early report on the tracks.