(The following story by Kathy Aney appeared on the East Oregonian website on April 13.)
UMATILLA, Ore. — A train derailed near Umatilla Thursday morning.
Seven tanker cars, part of a train that included two Union Pacific engines, 11 cars and a caboose, slipped off the tracks at about 6 a.m. as the train traveled northwest underneath Highway 730. Before the train came to a stop, the displaced train wheels cut deeply into wooden railroad ties and carved into the dirt. The tracks buckled.
“One of our local trains was going from Hermiston to Umatilla to serve local industries there,” said Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis.
He said the accident caused minor damage to the tracks and no injuries.
“The cause is still under investigation,” Davis said.
About noon, eight Union Pacific worker labored to lift the train back onto the rails with a large crane as an audience of curious onlookers watched.