Train carrying shuttle rockets derails

[E.M. Bell]

CNN) -- A train carrying reusable solid rocket booster segments for the space shuttle derailed in western Alabama Wednesday, leaving at least two people injured, a NASA spokeswoman said.

The train was on its way to Kennedy Space Center in Florida from Utah, where the rocket booster segments are manufactured, when the accident happened around 10 a.m. ET near Pennington, Alabama, about 100 miles west of Montgomery, spokeswoman Katherine Trinidad said.

One of the injured was an employee of ATK, the company that makes the segments, and the other was a railroad employee, she said. The two were airlifted to Mobile, Alabama, said George Torres, a spokesman for ATK

he fuel inside the segments is ammonium perchlorate, which has the consistency of a rubber eraser.

Because it is a solid, nothing has spilled out of the railcars, Trinidad said.

The train, which had 16 cars, went off the tracks in a forested area after a bridge collapsed, she said. Not all of the cars carrying the eight segments derailed.

No residents or nearby communities are at risk, and the fuel cannot explode unless it is deliberately detonated, Trinidad said by telephone from Washington.

However, once the fuel is ignited, it cannot be extinguished.

NASA considers the situation stable, she said.

This is the second time this train has derailed on its journey from Utah, Trinidad said.

On Friday, a few wheels went off the track in Kansas, but no cars turned over, she said.

The segments will be sent back to Utah for inspection by the manufacturer.

They had been intended for use in the October 20 launch of the space shuttle Discovery, NASA officials said.

The derailment is not expected to affect that launch, the officials said, because NASA has an ample supply of other segments available.

[Dieselfan]

Saw this on the news.2 UP units leading train on their side,as well as a stainless passenger car directly behind units.Looked like a couple of SD70's

[cmherndon]

A lot of things (mechanical failure, bad track, etc...) could have caused this derailment, so let's not put the blame on the crew so quickly.  The official investigation report should have the cause of derailment.

[nscnotp1]

A lot of things (mechanical failure, bad track, etc...) could have caused this derailment, so let's not put the blame on the crew so quickly.  The official investigation report should have the cause of derailment.

I agree with that Caleb (thus I removed my last comment from the forum).
It could be a lot of things. Too bad it happened to this train twice from what I am hearing. 

[peachfuzz]

Pictures for the group.

















These won't last forever, so get them if you want them. 

[nscnotp1]

It is a shame to see this train derail like that. It looks as though the train was trying to cross a wooden trestle. It also looks as though that this was a jointed mainline.

Great shots on the derailment, peachfuzz.

[NSyorktown]

In all the media accounts to date, I've never seen it listed who's tracks (line) this was.   Not once!

It certainly can't be a U.P. right-of-way that far east, is it?  Anyone know who owns the line?

RDS

[nscnotp1]

In all the media accounts to date, I've never seen it listed who's tracks (line) this was.   Not once!

It certainly can't be a U.P. right-of-way that far east, is it?  Anyone know who owns the line?

RDS

Just did a map search of Pennington, Alabama(site of the derailment) on Yahoo and it is CSX.

[JCagle]

CSX that explains a lot!

[peachfuzz]

In all the media accounts to date, I've never seen it listed who's tracks (line) this was.   Not once!

It certainly can't be a U.P. right-of-way that far east, is it?  Anyone know who owns the line?

RDS

Just did a map search of Pennington, Alabama(site of the derailment) on Yahoo and it is CSX.

Formerly CSX.  Now the Meridian & Bigbee RR.  They took over the route from CSX.  Since the hurricane Katrina, CSX and KCS have been using this route for gateway tonnage between Montgomery Alabama and Meridian Mississippi.    To the tune of 5-10 trains per day on a route that formerly saw 1-2.

The section of CSX that M&B took over into Montgomery was in bad condition even before the traffic increase, and it was only a matter of time before something bad happened.  And as the photos show, it did.

The original agreement was supposed to restrict the power to B-B only, but radial trucked C-C power from CSX, KCS and UP had been allowed as well.   We see how well that worked out.

Supposedly,  repair work was going in at the bridge and this was the first train to pass after it was "finished".  The bridge gang witnessed the collapse.  No doubt someone is looking for a new job now.

For now, this traffic is back on it's original route via New Orleans.  I am wondering if it will return to this "backdoor" gateway when the bridge repairs are completed.  But that is subject for another forum