Derailment at Brentwood will stop train traffic through weekend

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/06/14/news/061408fztrain.txt
The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas

Train Derailment Sends 11 Cars Off Rails
By Skip Descant
The Morning News
BRENTWOOD - Rob Romine was at work retiling his bathroom Thursday night when he heard, "just an awful ruckus."
"It lasted about seven or eight minutes," said Romine, 32, of the Brentwood community, recalling the crashing sound of a derailed southbound Arkansas & Missouri Railroad train making its usual late evening run on the rails behind his property.
The derailment sent 11 cars off the tracks and will hold up train traffic between Fayetteville and Fort Smith until Sunday or Monday, say officials.
Only a conductor and engineer were on board and neither were injured, said Ron Sparks, police chief of the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad.
The Springdale Hazmat team was called for assistance at the derailment.
"There was no spillage of any hazardous material, and we had the ADEQ (Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality) out here to respond immediately," Sparks said.
The southbound train was traveling at 35 mph when it derailed on a secluded section of rail a mile south of Washington County 39 in Brentwood about 9:40 p.m. Thursday. Some 12 to 15 rail cars remained on the rails with the bulk of the damage occurring in the front of the train.
"The people that live around here just need to be assured that they're not in any danger," added Sparks on Friday afternoon. Cleanup crews from RJ Corman Derailment Services, of Nicholasville, Ky., were called in to haul away the crumpled box cars and twisted rail.
Of the 11 cars to jump the rails, seven were empty and four were loaded with "commodities," said Sparks, who would not elaborate on what those goods included.
"We need to protect the privacy of our customers," he remarked, but added many of the spilled items were in boxes.
Speculating on what might have caused the accident, neighbors in the area reported erosion around the rail bed - which runs alongside the White River - and sections of rail that had worn thin over the years could be a cause.
"I figured it would give way eventually, with all the erosion up through here," said Tim Binder, 41. His property runs along the tracks and he has been living in the area about 20 years.
"These tracks down here have been in bad shape for years," he added.
Sparks said the cause of the derailment is under investigation and it's too early to determine what caused the accident. Generally, he said, train derailments are caused by several factors. Some railroad authorities have speculated that shuffling occupied cars with empty ones can result in load distribution problems, but Sparks reiterated the cause is often multifaceted.
"That can be one of the factors, but very rarely is it a single thing," Sparks said.
Three to four trains a day use the rails, and their travel will be either suspended or rerouted, Sparks said.
"We work closely with the shippers and we'll work out any delays. And if any customers are in a bind, we'll make arrangements to get them their product," Sparks said.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/06/14/news/061408fztrain.txt