An empty Sierra Northern Railroad tank car derailed on Thursday at Seco Street and Jim Brady Road in Jamestown, staff members of the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office and the president of the Sierra Northern Railroad said in telephone interviews Friday.
According to Kennan H. Beard III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Northern Railway, there were no injuries, property damage, or spillage of hazardous materials, and no removal of hazardous materials was required after the derailment.
Beard and the Sheriff’s Office said an empty tank car was hauled around 5:40 p.m. It derailed and the train stopped near Seco Street and Jim Brady Road.
The sheriff’s office log contains three mentions of the incident. At 5:44 p.m., the caller’s report summary included, “A (black) tanker was bouncing around and (probably) off the tracks just as a train passed.” . At 5:47 p.m., the caller’s report summary included “Train derailed, oil locomotive dragged, no one appears to be in control of the locomotive.” At 6:08 p.m., the caller’s report summary read, “Train derailed. //Help en route.”
Beard saw the sheriff’s office mention the incident and said, “There are a lot of bad reports to the sheriff.”
Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ashley Buzikian said: There were no injuries, damage, or dangerous goods issues, so we set off. ”
“The train stopped,” Boujikian said. “No one was hurt.
According to Boujikian, the sheriff’s office’s role in the event of a train derailment is evacuation in the event of a hazardous materials issue.
“I got the call around 5:45,” says Boujikian. “The places we were dispatched to were Seco Street and Jim Brady Road. I think there were three calls. When we got there, it had already stopped and other agencies were already there.”
Cal Fire, Tuolumne County Fire, Tuolumne County Roads and California Highway Patrol also responded, Boujikian said.
Cal Fire officials were at the scene for about 10 minutes after it was ruled to be a minor incident, Cal Fire TCU and Tuolumne County Fire chief David Woods said Friday afternoon. One axle appeared to have broken and one wheel of the car had detached from one of the tracks, Wood said.
“We are still investigating,” Beard said Friday. “It was an empty car and the wheels were off the track. It was an empty tank car. Federal regulations prevent you from revealing the contents of a rail car. No spills, no hazardous materials, no cleanup, no injuries, no physical damage.” No damage.This was a very minor derailment.8 cars, 1 locomotive, 1 car derailment.There were 2 people in the cab of the locomotive.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration have not investigated the derailment. Baird said Thursday’s incident in Jamestown was because it did not involve the loss of life or the release of hazardous materials.
“Train derailments are only investigated when certain thresholds are met,” said Beard. “In the case of yesterday’s derailment, reporting criteria were not met and there were no injuries, hazardous materials released, or property damage, and is therefore considered minor.”
Derailments, other train accidents and rail safety have come under increased scrutiny this winter and spring in the wake of the severe derailment of the Norfolk Southern Railway on February 3rd. Palestine, Ohio, for a few days. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called for a congressional investigation in February.
Since then, derailments in Michigan, Alabama and other states have made headlines.
Federal data shows that the United States averages about three train derailments per day, but relatively few accidents cause disasters, The Associated Press reported Friday. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad this week reported two derailments in Arizona and Washington that spilled diesel fuel on tribal lands adjacent to Puget Sound.
The derailment near Topock, Arizona, just north of Interstate 40, east of the Colorado River and across from Needles, Calif., occurred around 7:40 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The train was carrying corn syrup. No injuries have been reported. Eight cars were believed to have derailed, and there was no estimate as to when the track would be reopened. said he didn’t.
The Sierra Northern Railroad is based in West Sacramento.