Roodhouse, Ill.-Although nine empty hopper cars were lost when a 144-car Kansas City Southern Railway Co. (KCSR) train jumped the track early on Nov. 16 in the rail yard limits at Roodhouse, a number of anhydrous ammonia tankers were not damaged. Two of the derailed cars toppled off a bridge over a roadway, while five were tipped on their sides and two were left leaning over the track. Press reports said the derailed cars were just four ahead of a fully loaded anhydrous ammonia tanker car, and additional anhydrous tankers were further back in the line. KCSR spokeswoman C. Doniele Kane didn’t disclose the number of ammonia cars, but said they were not impacted and were able to be moved on toward their destination. Overall, she noted, there was no hazardous material released and no injuries. The cause of the incident is still under investigation. The eastbound train, being pulled by four engines, reportedly slowed to make the curve onto southbound tracks at the Roodhouse Rail Yard. The cars behind the engines derailed to the west of tracks that run parallel to U.S. Route 67 through Roodhouse, where part of one street was blocked because of road damage caused by the cars that fell from the bridge overpass.
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