Massive Norfolk Southern Derailment Shuts Down South Fort Wayne Traffic
(Fort Wayne, Indiana – September 8, 2012)
A 43-car Norfolk Southern specialized freight service train being pulled by two locomotives derailed 37 of its cars and damaged the units remaining on the rails in near-south Fort Wayne, IN early Saturday morning at about 7:00 A.M., effectively shutting down traffic on major thoroughfares such as South Anthony Boulevard, Winter Street and Hayden Street until late in the day.
The train, made up of highway trailer units coupled together to provide slack-free operation and mounted on rail bogies instead of being lifted onto railroad flatcars, an operation known as “Triple Crown Service” or “ road-railer”, was traveling from Chicago, IL to Harrisburg, PA when the accident occurred. Miraculously, no one was injured and no hazardous materials were involved. The derailment occurred on yard tracks, where speeds are limited to about 10 mph.
Neighbors in the area of the NS railroad tracks told news media representatives that the incident was the second of its kind occurring in the same area in the last several years.
