(The Associated Press circulated the following article on July 2.)
ELBOW LAKE, Minn. — Crews on Saturday were cleaning up and doing repair work after a Canadian Pacific train derailment in this west-central Minnesota town.
Railroad spokeswoman Laura Baenen said no one was hurt in the wreck shortly before 4 p.m. Friday, and no hazardous materials spilled. The cause of the derailment was under investigation Saturday.
Jeremi Anderson of Elbow Lake was waiting in his car at the railroad crossing when the accident occurred.
“(One car) was jumping up and down on the track, throwing sparks,” he said. “Then it jumped in the air and went off the tracks. I thought I was going to get run over.”
A train car, on its side with dirt piled up in front of its forward end, came to rest about 10 yards from Anderson’s vehicle.
Laraya Michel saw the accident while working at the Cenex Gas Station nearby. “I saw a cloud of dust and noticed the cars were swaying more than usual, she said. “Then it just tipped over.”
The 90-car train was headed from Chicago to Calgary, Alberta. Twenty-seven cars left the tracks, and some sand and ceramic pellets spilled, Baenen said.
One of the derailed cars had some ethanol residue, but Baenen said there were no safety concerns.
The derailment temporarily blocked the town’s main street, but Baenen said it was cleared later Friday.