Western Railroad Discussion > Cantara Loop Spill

https://www.siskiyou.news/2026/03/02/grain-train-derails-at-cantara-loop-near-dunsmuir/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQT5y9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExZW9SQmplMnYzTTJYOW9Wc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHlDsnCt2nd7JYpStE2zRxd37ZcWp-V5cMpp1S3rVRX2JArBtP8XnofFuFqbX_aem_FeQC6tkt6PmCVjwvTCtJ3g

Well the good news is it's  a derailed grain train. No chemicals and nothing in the river. The safety barrier over the bridge has yet to be tested and that's  good news . Years ago a loaded grain car derailed  about a half mile up from the loop. It was shoved over the embankment. The following year hundreds and hundreds of ground squirrels where all over the derailed car . They quickly dicovered   a lifetime supply of high protein food.

It's not just the squirrels, but chipmunks, deer, birds and maybe a few bears. as well




clickclack Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well the good news is it's  a derailed grain
> train. No chemicals and nothing in the river. The
> safety barrier over the bridge has yet to be
> tested and that's  good news . Years ago a loaded
> grain car derailed  about a half mile up from the
> loop. It was shoved over the embankment. The
> following year hundreds and hundreds of ground
> squirrels where all over the derailed car . They
> quickly dicovered   a lifetime supply of high
> protein food.

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

GP25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's not just the squirrels, but chipmunks, deer,
> birds and maybe a few bears. as well
>
>
>
>
> clickclack Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Well the good news is it's  a derailed grain
> > train. No chemicals and nothing in the river.
> The
> > safety barrier over the bridge has yet to be
> > tested and that's  good news . Years ago a
> loaded
> > grain car derailed  about a half mile up from
> the
> > loop. It was shoved over the embankment. The
> > following year hundreds and hundreds of ground
> > squirrels where all over the derailed car .
> They
> > quickly dicovered   a lifetime supply of high
> > protein food.
Thought if there was a grain spill they would try to clean it up so wildlife wouldnt be drawin to it and causing problemss?

Are you referring to Tehachapi???.  I remember that. The late Dave Burton lived just up from the derail. He advised folks to use extreme caution while taking photos etc. The bears frequented that regularly. There was also a 4 month old loaded center beam involved.It had a bent stirrup on one corner ,but otherwise undamaged. The cleanup folks just pushed it over the side in their haste   to reopen the line. 
Regards,DK
clickclack Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well the good news is it's  a derailed grain
> train. No chemicals and nothing in the river. The
> safety barrier over the bridge has yet to be
> tested and that's  good news . Years ago a loaded
> grain car derailed  about a half mile up from the
> loop. It was shoved over the embankment. The
> following year hundreds and hundreds of ground
> squirrels where all over the derailed car . They
> quickly dicovered   a lifetime supply of high
> protein food.

I hope UP can get that opened up quickly. I have a grandson with a reservation on the northbound Coast Starlight near there Thursday morning, and I'm supposed to join him on that train in Portland. I could also hope for a bus bridge, I guess.

What was wrong with this thread???

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,6145983

 2 different subjects in the same thread ??