(The following story by Bob Albrecht appeared on The columbian website on August 12, 2010.)
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Two overturned rail cars this morning dumped 10 tons of grain onto the roadway just off the tracks near the intersection of West 11th and Lincoln streets.
The train, made up of three locomotives hauling 104 cars of grain from Glasgow, Mont., had traveled through the Columbia River Gorge and was arriving in Vancouver, its final destination, at about 7:45 a.m. when the cars dislodged from the tracks and fell over.
There were no injuries reported. The cause of the spill-over remains undetermined.
The intersection of West 11th and Lincoln streets is expected to re-open at about 4 p.m., according to Gus Melonas, a BNSF Railroad spokesman.
“The product that was spilled is being scrapped,” Melonas said.
During the early stages of the cleanup, about 30 BNSF staffers huddled around the overturned cars under gray skies, watching over the spill blocking streets on the edge of downtown, from West 8th to 11th streets. Rail cars have since been moved, re-opening West 8th Street.
The clearing of the spilled grain and fallen rail cars proved faster than expected.
Initially, BNSF officials said they expected cleanup to last well into the evening.
“The track repairs have been made, cars have been moved away from the tracks, and we’ve vacuumed up the grain,” Melonas said at about 2:30 p.m.
The obstruction tripped-up vehicles traveling to the Amtrak station located just beyond the spill, at 1301 W. 11th Street. In the early stages of the cleanup efforts, travelers were detoured.
Nonetheless, across the blocked intersection, the impact was negligible. It isn’t affecting Amtrak trains. An employee said trains are running and remain on schedule.
The Vancouver Fire Department also responded.
A damage estimate of the rail cars and the lost grain was not immediately available.
It is unclear, Melonas said, whether the cars can be repaired.