(The Billings Gazette posted the following article on its website on August 19.)
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Federal accident investigators are trying to determine what caused two Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains headed to Montana to collide west of Gillette.
Steve Kulm, a spokesman for the Federal Rail Administration in Washington, said two agency investigators were on the scene Wednesday to look into the Tuesday night crash.
Both trains were on their way from Pipestone, Mont., to the North Antelope mine, according BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas. A train hauling stone hit the tail end of an empty coal train.
Melonas said 11 cars were derailed but no one was injured.
He said the wreckage was quickly cleaned up and the track wasn’t damaged.
Accidents along the rail between Wright and Douglas in May severely damaged the track, limiting coal transport along those lines and causing some Midwestern power companies to switch to natural gas to meet demand.