(The following article by William Lee was posted on the Chicago Daily Southtown website on September 25.)
CHICAGO — Two derailed tanker cars carrying hazardous materials in a Homewood rail yard did not leak their contents Sunday, officials said.
In total, four freight cars, three tankers and a flatbed car, derailed in a Canadian National rail yard in the area of Cedar Road and Harwood Avenue about 6:20 p.m., authorities said.
Two of the tanker cars contained hazardous materials — one was carrying anhydrous ammonia and the other denatured alcohol ethyl, CN spokesman Jim Kvedaras said.
It was not immediately known what the third tanker car contained, but none of the tankers were found to have had any ruptures or leaks, Kvedaras said.
No injuries were reported.
The train carrying the line of cars was traveling north on the tracks when the derailment occurred, Homewood Deputy Police Chief James Gannon said.At least one of the cars overturned, while two others were turned on their sides, according to Gannon and CN officials.
Machinery will be brought in to put the cars back on the track, Gannon said.The rail yard rests about 100 feet east of tracks used by Amtrak and Metra.
Morning commutes on the nearby tracks were not expected to be affected, Gannon and Kvedaras said.