Train derails in Louisiana, about 50 homes evacuated

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

LAWTELL, La. — Authorities say a train carrying flammable and corrosive materials has derailed in Louisiana and about 50 homes have been evacuated as a precaution.

The homes are within one mile of the derailment. Police say at least 26 cars went off the tracks about 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Latwell, which is about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge.

Master Trooper Daniel "Scott" Moreau says authorities have not reported any injuries.

The Union Pacific train had 76 cars, and some of them held lube oil and vinyl chloride, KATC-TV reported.

Read more: http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-08-04/train-derails-la-about-50-homes-evacuated

[msanthrope]

1. Is it me, or have there been a lot of runaway trains recently? nt

[MicaelS]

4. Not really.

The incident in Canada brought the incident of runaways to the public's attention. However, it is like plane crashes, when one crashes, then you are going to see the news swamped with the most minor incidences concerning planes.

Note, that the above news item is a DERAILMENT, not specifically a runaway. A runaway has a very specific meaning in RR terminology. It meas the train is not under human control. A derailment means cars in a train have jumped off the track, because of one reason or another i.e.; excess speed, bad track, defective train car, collision with a motor vehicle.

Runaways will almost always have derailments, but all derailments are not runaways. Derailments happen all the time, they can be minor or major. You really won't hear about them unless they are major, or if they involve hazardous materials.

[Populist_Prole]

9. I agree

It's just another example of media induced bullshit hysteria. "If it bleeds, it leads".

[madashelltoo]

6. Yes, there has been an escalation in train derailments.

I mentioned this to my son recently. They need to invest in infrastructure. I just returned from the worse Amtrak ride from Philadelphia to Savannah ever. Whiplash. It was horrible, noisy and frightening. It sounded and felt like the train track was out of line and the train was fighting to stay on them.

[Posteritatis]

8. There's been a lot of coverage about them; don't know about objective numbers. (nt)

[Iliyah]

2. Exposed.

[starroute]

3. I'm starting to wonder about our own local train lines

I was in the supermarket today, and the Allentown Morning Call had a headline story about how toxic cargoes are also being transported over the rail lines around here. We don't get passenger service any more, because the lines are too outdated for that, but I sure hear those freight train whistles at night -- and they somehow don't sound all old-timey and reassuring any more.

And of course they won't even tell us what's traveling through because Terrorism.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-lehigh-valley-vulnerable-to-rail-disaster-20130803,0,4721988.story

The Lehigh Valley has many towns and villages that, like Lac-Megantic, are intersected by railroads. And the trains that run through them — practically within arm's reach of homes, schools and businesses — also routinely transport petrochemicals, as well as a long list of other potentially explosive and poisonous substances, according to railroad and public safety officials.

Despite such proximity to so powerful a force, residents have learned to tune out the trains, like background noise.

In Emmaus, a major Norfolk Southern line runs past the back door of Creamery on Main, a cafe and ice cream parlor in the center of town. When the trains roll through at full speed, the ground vibrates and the air shifts. Other sounds are drowned out by the roar. "I don't even notice," Creamery owner Bill Kao said. "The trains are so … so normal." . . .

Dave Pidgeon, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern, confirmed that the Norfolk, Va.-based railroad also ships crude oil. While such information is not exactly secret, he declined to say — citing concerns about terrorism — whether the railroad ships crude along the line that passes through the Lehigh Valley.

[MicaelS]

5. Hazardous materials are going to be moved.

It is only a question of how. Via rail or road. What would you rather have?

[valerief]

12. Air Force One never crashes. Use that. nt

[JoeyT]

7. Trains do pull around a lot of scary stuff.

Stuff way scarier than crude oil. It's really one of the safest ways to ship it, though. Far safer than sending it by truck.

[starroute]

10. It could be safer -- it they hadn't let the infrastructure decay

In many places, the tracks aren't in great shape. And they've been cutting back sharply on the number of people required to crew a train.

Also, trains are a lot bigger than trucks. A single truck crashing isn't going to wipe out an entire downtown.

[KeepItReal]

11. 14 of the 23 derailed cars contain potentially hazardous materials. (Local coverage & video link)

More local coverage here:

http://www.wafb.com/story/23042516/developing-news-hazmat-crews-on-scene-of-lawtell-train-derailment

Officials added 14 of the 23 derailed cars contain potentially hazardous materials. According to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, one car is leaking lubricant oil, a second is leaking a class 8 substance known as caustic soda and the third car was carrying a class 9 hazardous substance called Dodecanol.

According to LSP, the cars were carrying hazardous materials such as lube oil and vinyl chloride. Troopers are very concerned about the vinyl chloride.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site reports that "the EPA regulates vinyl chloride in drinking water to protect public health. Vinyl chloride may cause health problems if present in public or private water supplies in amounts greater than the drinking water standard set by EPA."