Three Locomotives Off the Tracks by General Mills

Three locomotives were off the tracks by General Mills in Cedar Rapids Friday night. Hazmat crews on the scene where cleaning up the diesel that was leaking from the first locomotive. (Chris Blake/SourceMedia Group News)

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By Kelli Sutterman

Story Created: Nov 12, 2010 at 8:30 PM CDT

Story Updated: Nov 12, 2010 at 11:18 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Three Union Pacific locomotives derailed south of General Mills in southwest Cedar Rapids around 6 o'clock Friday evening.

Firefighters were notified of the derailment and arrived on the scene to find diesel fuel leaking out of the first locomotive. The locomotive was leaning off of the railroad tracks, but had not fallen on its side. The other two locomotives were upright, but off of the railroad tracks.

Approximately 1,000 to 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel leaked out of the fill cap of the first locomotive and accumulated in a natural ditch between two sets of railroad tracks.

Firefighters, trained in hazardous materials response, were able to prevent the diesel from entering a nearby storm sewer.

The engineer in the locomotive was not injured. Initial reports indicate that the train was in the process of a switching procedure to increase the size of the train, including the locomotives and rail-cars.

The Federal Railroad Association is the federal agency responsible for investigation of the incident.

The Fire Department notified an area environmental services agency to vacuum up the spilled diesel fuel. A side-boom company from Des Moines was notified by railroad supervisors to respond to the scene to upright the first locomotive and place the remaining two locomotives back on the rail tracks.

No further information is available at this time.

Next Article Cedar Rapids Community Leaders, Police Work to Curb Summer Crime

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