(The Glouchester County Times posted the following article on its website on December 19.)
WOODBURY, N.J. — Five Conrail boxcars jumped the tracks near Bellevue Avenue here shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday and the long train to which they were attached blocked traffic in and out of the city for a couple of hours.
Conrail spokesman John Enright said the train was moving at less than the 15 mph speed limit in the area when the accident happened, probably because of “a glitch in the tracks.”
Police Detective Lt. Tim Sheehan said traffic was blocked at Broad and Cooper streets eastbound, South Barber and Railroad avenues southbound, Mantua and Railroad avenues eastbound and Railroad and East Barber avenues eastbound.
State Department of Transportation workers arrived at the scene at about 8 a.m., Conrail police arrived at 8:30 a.m. and most of the blocked intersections were re-opened at 8:45 a.m., Sheehan said.
There was some property damage to trees and fences at the rear of some Bellevue Avenue properties, he said.
Enright said two cars toppled over, one was leaning and the other two, off the tracks, did not overturn.
Enright said Conrail crews were trying to get the derailed cars, all of which held lumber products, removed.
A train car did jump the tracks in the Railroad Avenue train yard earlier this week, Enright said, but that was about 100 yards away from where Thursday’s derailment happened.