(The Press & Sun-Bulletin posted the following article by Greg Erbstoesser on its website on April 23.)
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — A spectacular freight train derailment Tuesday in downtown Binghamton threw eight rail cars off the tracks, with one boxcar crashing down a 15-foot embankment onto the sidewalk at Front Street.
“It sounded like a bomb went off,” said Joseph Nannery of 4 McDonald Ave., whose home abuts the tracks and is just three houses east of the accident.
“It was like an explosion,” said Nannery, who has lived there for some 30 years.
As he went to investigate, Nannery found three boxcars upended and off the tracks at the Front Street underpass. One boxcar was thrown lengthwise down the embankment, coming to rest against a utility pole.
The accident, reported at 4:09 p.m. at Front and Clinton streets, sent fire, police and railroad crews scrambling to make sure there were no injuries and no release of any toxic or hazardous cargo.
“Fortunately, there were none,” Binghamton Acting Fire Chief Daniel Thomas said.
Front Street is a north-south artery leading motorists in and out of the city. Mayor Richard A. Bucci said the accident had the potential to be a disaster had boxcars fallen onto the busy street or if they had contained hazardous materials.
In all, eight cars of an 80-car New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway freight train derailed at two locations. Three cars derailed at Front Street, while five others came off the tracks farther east at the rear of the train and near the Chenango Street overpass, city officials said.
Thomas and Fire Capt. Harry Smith said firefighters, police and rail crews quickly checked the rail cars to determine the extent of damage. The upended boxcars were empty.
Officials cordoned off the accident scene, diverting traffic off Front Street.
Heavy equipment, including cranes, arrived late Tuesday to right the derailed cars, while engineers and track inspection crews were called to inspect and determine the extent of damage to the track and overpass.
Across the street from the accident at the Botnick car dealership, employees Ken Burton, Kathy Pope and Randy Walker watched the emergency response.
“It hit so hard,” Pope said.
She and Burton said cars continued to drive through the underpass, seemingly unfazed by the accident until police blocked off the streets.
“It was unbelievable,” Burton said.
Walker ran to the car dealership window when he heard the crash. He then quickly called 911.
While the Front Street rail underpass has been the focus of numerous complaints and concerns with its rusting iron substructure and 12-foot-1-inch clearance, Thomas said: “This wasn’t a bridge malfunction, it was a train malfunction.”
Nathan Fenno, New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway vice president and company spokesman, said late Tuesday the 80-car train had arrived Tuesday afternoon in Binghamton from New Jersey.
The train crew was in the process of backing the train into the Binghamton rail yard to reconfigure the cars, which had different destinations, when the accident happened, Fenno said.
Fenno said no cause for the accident had been determined, although it did not appear to be anything suspicious.
Repair work was expected to continue through the early morning hours, city officials said, with Front Street closed until the work is completed.