The Florida East Coast has a major train wreck in Palm Coast this morning. Haz-mat teams from St. Johns and Duval are on the scene.
37 cars and both locomotives are scattered all over the woods. No evacuations were needed as it happened in an area of industries, but on the main track.
The Ock crystal sez this is going to be a bad wheel or the sudden HEAT that can, rarely, heave the track all out of alignment. If that is the cause then expect major track work in FLagler County, if it's a wheel, (The TIRE worn through to the softer metal) somebody is going to pay big time for not spotting it.
No word on any injurys.
Expect to see the hospital trains coming in at Sunbeam Road with strings of twisted cars.
OCKLAWAHA
EPA Joins Cleanup Of Train Derailment
12,000 Gallons Of Hydrochloric Acid Leak From Rail Car
http://www.news4jax.com/news/19426615/detail.html
POSTED: Monday, May 11, 2009
UPDATED: 1:07 pm EDT May 11, 2009
Map: train derails near Palm Coast
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. -- Cleanup continues after 37 cars and two locomotives derailed near Palm Coast Saturday night, with one rail car spilling 12,000 gallons hydrochloric acid.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office said one FEC employee was hurt when the train heading from Jacksonville to Miami derailed at Hargrove Grade, just off U.S. Highway 1 about 6 p.m. Saturday. He was treated at Flagler Hospital in Palm Coast.
The derailment also sparked a small brush fire, but authorities said teams from the Palm Coast and Flagler County fire departments quickly had it under control.
Flagler County firefighters, hazardous materials teams from St. Johns County and Jacksonville and Florida East Coast Railroad crews have been on the scene since shortly after cars left the tracks.
FEC train derails near Palm Coast
Aerial video shows several rail cars off the tracks just off U.S. Highway 1 near Palm Coast.
Because of the hydrochloric acid spill, the Environmental Protection Agency arrived at the site Monday morning to take air and ground samples.
Because the derailment occurred in an industrial park on a weekend, no evacuations were needed, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
The train was also carring automobiles and lumber.
Rail inspectors are still investigating what caused the train to derail, but a working theory is that the heat caused the tracks to buckle.
Railroad crews were in the process of removing the rail cars moved and hope to have the tracks reopened late Monday.
With the stellar amount of Helicopter pictures taken from the scene, we have really no idea other than a half-smoked picture taken at the St. Augustine Record. I don't buy the bad rail issue, or cross ties, since they are all concrete and the same up and down the line. Only 37 cars? I'd look at a hot-wheel as the culprit. Perhaps the new owners are stretching car maintenance to cut down on costs.