CSX Q-390 derailment near Oneida, NY

Several propane cars exploded causing evacuations ...

http://wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=6212208

http://www.wktv.com/news/local/6436217.html

CSX eastbound train Q 390 wrecked at Oneida this morning.The train derailed in the city of Oneida, between Canal and Main streets. It happened around 7 a.m. An explosion followed the train derailment.

There are 80 railcars involved, 24 of those cars derailed and 12 cars are on fire at this time. Some of the railcars were carrying liquid propane.

Reverse 911 is being used to evacuate people in a one-mile radius of Cobb and Canal streets. Oneida’s entire fire department is at the scene, as well as crews from the surrounding towns and counties.

There’s no word yet if there are any injuries

Oneida is at Approximately MP QC 262 on the Mohawk Subdivision, between Rome, NY and Syracuse.

As for detours via the NYS&W, SY-1 is on duty at 0900 in Syracuse with Q118. Given the situation and the particulars, look for a couple of detours in each direction, limited only by crew availability.

The video shows the unusual signal tower to the left which is the west bd signal for CP 266 at the westend of the Onieda Yard. Fortunately a fairly rural area. News10 is reporting that Syracuse Fire Dept. crews from the Airport were at staging with equipment normally used to fight aircraft fires. Equipment was found top be too wide to drive to the scene and is being returned to the airport.

Latest report was 77cars, 15 on the ground, 6or7 burning. OFD and
officials are letting them burn, too hot to get near. Lets hope we don't get
a BLEVE.

I live less than 5 miles from this and slept right through it... guess I was pretty tired!

Here's the latest:

http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story.a ... 07&rss=112

Some of the highlights are below, but that link will have the latest (as opposed to the highlights I pasted in below) and you can see video... both what was put on the air and their raw, uncut video. Impressive pix. I also saw them being credited for the video that's been airing on CNN.

Latest Information:
- CSX says it was a 80 car train; half of them were propane tankers; approximately 12-15 cars derailed
- Around 6 - 7 cars remain on fire
- Cars involved believed to be carrying liquid propane
- Two train cars were carrying hazardous materials
- Firefighters could not approach the fire for several hours, due to the severity of the smoke/flames. Water now being poured on the flames.
- CSX touring the crash site over the air right now
- CSX Train was heading from Buffalo to Selkirk, just south of Albany
- Fire Chief: "No one contaminated at the scene."
- Emergency Evacuation Plan being considered for jail
- Around 35-40 people are in an emergency shelter at the New Beginnings Church. A voluntary evacuation is in effect.
- Wal-Mart & Lowe's stores on Route 5 is closed

Just a few more facts just released by CSX Transportation, who earlier achived airborne access to the scene c/o NYSP to aid in details.

Train was Q39010 (One Plan: MUPNSEL1).
Crew was uninjured (God Bless 'Em).
Train now confirmed to be 77 long, plus consist (C45ACCTE & SD70M, both UP).
Derailment was in Wampsville, closer to QC267 post.
Total 40 hazmat cars in train, including LPG, chlorine, and an unspecified non-toxic inhalant hazard.
Fire still too hot to approach, and a wind condition now becoming an issue.
CSX Public Relations confirmed 24 on the ground, 14 burning, including 4-5 hazmat in addition to the initial LPG car.

For those not familar, the burning cars are just East of the switch gear
at CP 266 on the Mohawk Sub,( Conrails Chicago Line). There is a
11,000 ft controlled siding between CP 266 and CP 263 with a small
runaround siding off of it. In one of the pictures you can see one of the tanks that crushed the silver relay shack on the South side of the tracks. On a map you would find Cobb St runs parallel to the tracks in this area. A good view of the wreck could be had looking WEST from the Rt 46 (main St) bridge BUT don't bother, as you'll never get near the site. The T-way is expected to remain closed for awile yet.

This is making national news cause this morning I"m sitting in South Florida watching a train wreck in NY.

How I love Spring Break! Oops, wrong TOPic.

I just watched a report on 10 News. A CSX official said in the news conference that the train had 79 cars, 28 were on the ground and 5
were burning, but he semed unsure of his own info. Can it be that
hard to at least get an accurate car count? The consist of Q-390 should
be known by the Railroad you would think( or not). This company is really
becoming a joke. I didn't say that to twist up anybody but enough is enough already. In my 51 years I've never feared being around the
Water Level Route but I now find myself thinking about it. Sad really.

Thurway has reopened, evacuation area is now reduced to 1/2 mile. Fire is mostly burning itself out.

Here's an aerial photo from the Syracuse Post-Standard:

http://blog.syracuse.com/news/2007/03/e ... lanes.html

O-6-O wrote:This company is really
becoming a joke. I didn't say that to twist up anybody but enough is enough already. In my 51 years I've never feared being around the
Water Level Route but I now find myself thinking about it. Sad really.

I'm with you on that one 0-6-0...really we all have been lucky that despite the spectacular crashes, nobody's been hurt or killed.

I'm afraid too. Imagine if the locations or cars involved in the ER derailment or Union Rd derailment and Oneida derailment were swapped? Don't imagine it...it's horrible.

I just hope that our luck hasn't run out after this one and that there isn't a next one.

Well it would seem the government has had enough. The FRA and NTSB are headed up to the derailment. See their respective websites for the press release.

I think the FRA and the NTSB would be at this kind of wreck no matter
what rail line this was. This is/was a biggie. When the school kiddies are
involved and people have to leave their homes the government is going to
be involved. JMHO but you can't run a Northeast RR from Jacksonville,FLA.
Do they know what LE snow, whiteouts and frostheaves even are? I don't
know what caused this wreck but think this company is too hard on its
plant, equipment and operating personel. Chaser is right, we have been lucky but I hope it doesn't take a major death toll for the gov to step in.
They regulate the amount of water in a toilet flush and we have bike helmets for the kiddies you'd think they'd have time to fix a broken railroad.