NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Federal, state and Smith County authorities are investigating an act of railroad vandalism that, except for the sharp eye of a locomotive engineer, could have derailed a Nashville-bound excursion train carrying more than 400 passengers and crew, the Nashville Tennessean reported.
”This could have been so bad,” said Craig Wade, vice president and general manager of Nashville & Eastern Railroad, which owns the rail line. ”Whoever did this had some meanness in mind.”
The incident, which is being viewed as vandalism and not terrorism, occurred Oct. 26 as an autumn sightseeing charter trip was returning from Cookeville.
According to Wade, an alert locomotive engineer noticed that someone had tampered with the track on the approach to the crossing above Smith Fork Creek. The spot, near the Lancaster community in southeastern Smith County, is very close to where the creek empties into the Caney Fork River.
”If the train had had any speed, there’s a good chance it would have derailed and fallen off the bridge, which is every bit of 60 feet high,” Wade said.
Fortunately, he said, the speed on that section of track, which is on a bluff overlooking the river, is 10 mph.
”That gave the engineer time to stop,” he said.
No one has been charged, but authorities are continuing their investigation.
”No one has given us any indication that this is anything but vandalism,” said Chief Deputy Guinn Gregory of the Smith County Sheriff’s Department. ”We’ve pretty much turned it over to the TBI and FBI.”
The TBI referred questions to the FBI, but the agent in charge could not be reached. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Office of Homeland Security was notified, and it, in turn, passed on information to the National Homeland Security office.
”The fact that it involved a passenger train made us want to look at it, but at the moment it appears to be a stupid prank,” said Rick Shipkowski of the state Office of Homeland Security.
But if the prank had succeeded, there could have been many casualties, Gregory said.
”And it would have been in a bad place for our emergency crews because there are no roads to it,” the chief deputy said.
Wade said the vandal or vandals had wedged tie plates against the rails, intending to force the wheels off the tracks. Tie plates are used to stabilize the rails as the train passes over. Old tie plates were on the ground because of repair work that had been done in the area.
The vandal or vandals also positioned a section of angle bar on the rail. ”It was like a ramp that was used to get the wheels off the rails,” Wade said. ”There’s no doubt in our mind that it was a deliberate try to derail the train.”
Investigators are urging anyone with information about the incident to call the Smith County Sheriff’s Department at (615) 735-2626.