ROCKWOOD, Maine — A fire chief involved in the response of Saturday’s CPKC derailment in a remote area of northern Maine says it was an ‘absolute miracle’ the three crew members were not more seriously injured.
The three crew members were reported to have suffered minor injuries in a derailment and fire involving three locomotives and nine railcars near Rockwood [see “Three hurt as CPKC train derails …,” Trains News Wire, April 15, 2023].
WMTW-TV reports that Bill Jarvis is chief of the Jackman-Moose River Fire & Rescue Department, located about 20 miles from the derailment scene. Jarvis said one of the crew members told him the train was going about 35 mph when they “could suddenly see the rail still there but with the washout they knew nothing was underneath the rail, and they knew there was nothing they could do, and the lead locomotive they were in went right down. …
“They went for quite a ride and it is very fortunate they were able to get out because the damage the locomotive sustained, how quickly it stopped, the other cars coming behind it hitting it, [and] the lumber cars that started piling up on top of it and caught fire,” Jarvis said. “They had to break out a side window because the locomotive was laying on its side and were able to get out and walk away. It is a praise God moment.”
The derailed cars were carrying lumber and wire, but the Portland Press Herald reports other cars in the consist included ethanol and pentamethylheptane, a highly flammable and toxic chemical used in cosmetics.
Sounds like the Fire Chief Bill Jarvis (on the scene) and the State Bureaucrats for the Maine Dept of Environmental Protection (far away from the scene) are not in sync and are at odds on CPKC’s Response and clean-up, as usual.
WMTW-TV reported that “The chief (Jarvis) applauded the response from Canadian Pacific Railway, noting that their employees were ‘going like crazy’ to clean up.” Meanwhile, Melanie Loyzim, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, said CPKC clean-up effort, “failed to meet Department expectations regarding timing and response of clean-up activities in order to effectively mitigate impacts to the environment and public health.” They further reported that, “…some directives issued by the department have not been addressed, including a failure to empty fuel tanks of derailed locomotives before they were moved to avoid further spillage, and a timely removal of tank cars containing hazardous material.”
I think she “didn’t understand” a fire was burning in one locomotive and the lumber cars that piled on top of it. CPKC probably were moving the other locomotives to keep them from burning or adding to conflagration when their fuel tanks exploded from the fire. I am sure in that case, the Maine DEP would have complained that they didn’t act fast enough. Of course the guy that would have had to try to drain the tanks in the middle of a fire would have some choice words for Ms. Loyzim! Ignorant and self important with no understanding of the reality of the situation come to mind.
Track does not look to be in good condition…
Gosh David contact CPKC and apply for a roadmaster job based on such astute observation. Those rails are clearly out of gauge despite the ties staying in place and a thick rock ballast roadbed.
Talk about the middle of nowhere.
Looks like SD70ACU 7005 was in the consist.
Which is significant how in this situation? Just asking…