Eastern Railroad Discussion > CP derailment in Maine

https://www.foxnews.com/us/train-carrying-hazardous-materials-derails-rural-maine-residents-warned-stay-clear

from Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry:
04/15/2023 05:45 PM EDT
For Imediate Release
April 15, 2023
Maine Forest Service Responds to Freight Train Derailment Near Rockwood, Maine
Augusta, Maine – At approximately 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, April 15, 2023, a Canadian Pacific freight train derailed in Sandwich Academy Grant Township in Somerset County. The Maine Forest Service, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and local emergency first responders responded. A total of three locomotive engines and six rail cars carrying lumber and electrical wiring derailed into a wooded area, where they caught fire and started a small forest fire. The fires are contained and are being monitored.  Additional rail cars transporting hazardous materials did not derail. The assessment of officials on the scene is that these hazardous materials are not at risk of leaking and are not at risk of catching fire. It is also the assessment of officials on the scene that there is no threat to public health or safety, though officials continue to ask that the public avoid the area. Three railroad employees were sent to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. An early assessment indicates that the derailment may have been caused by a build-up of melting ice and debris that washed out part of the railroad track.  The Maine Forest Service, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and local emergency first responders remain on the scene, and a unified command has been established in Jackman. A Canadian Pacific operations team is also onsite and will provide more details on the status of all rail cars.  

So, does this make this the first CPKC derailment?

Failure to do a track inspection with predictable results. The cause was a washout, easily found if hi-railed.

The location of the washout is just west of the former siding of Brassua, ME along the shore of Lake Brassua, which can be seen in the upper part of the photo. Looking at Lidar imagery of the location reveals some interesting history. They carved some holes in the land for fill material. But they also carved a route down to a landing on the lake that can be seen in the photo of the derailment. The washout was in a fill west of the old siding.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Agreed--hi-railing more often would catch alot of these problems.  Pinching pennies now, but then paying many dollars afterwards....

Thankfully I haven't seen anything to indicate injuries, crew is apparently alright. 2 of the 3 units involved were SD70ACus, looking at the trace it appears to be 7005 and Heritage-painted 7011.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

I wonder if the not-derailed part of the train was Hapag containers and Irving crude oil?

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> I wonder if the not-derailed part of the train was
> Hapag containers and Irving crude oil?

There are Hapag Lloyd containers on the ground.
Apparently the lead unit that burned is the 7011 Heritage SD70AC.

Photos posted on the Jackman - Moose River Fire & Rescue Department Facebook Page

..jr



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/23 09:42 by newtonville150.

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From the photos, appears the track is still jointed; are there any plans to install CWR on the Moosehead?

NS19K Wrote:
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> Failure to do a track inspection with predictable
> results. The cause was a washout, easily found if
> hi-railed.

It is impractical to run a hi rail 1/2 mile in front of every train. 

But even if they did, I bet you would still blame the railroad if a washout happened 50 feet in front of the train.

British Columbia Railway did (and I think CN still does on the ex-BCR) run a hyrail or speeder inspection in front of EVERY train. And guess what? They still had stuff happen, including some bad ones like where the power went into Seton Lake. I'm sure it cut's back on things going wrong, but it still happens between the inspection and the train.