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June 29, 2009

Train derailment cause still unknown

Mark Millican

The cause of a train derailment on Sunday in Rocky Face had not been determined as of Monday afternoon, a CSX spokesman said.

Gary Sease said the derailed cars had been “re-railed” and the stretch of track in a wooded area near Old Chattanooga Road was expected to be cleared by mid-afternoon on Monday.

No one was injured when 10 to 15 train cars overturned, and there were no hazardous materials aboard, officials said.

“We look at three very broad areas (in derailments),” said Sease. “Number one is the track, number two is the locomotive and rail cars, and number three is how the train was being operated.”

Sease said the train had an “event recorder,” much like the black boxes that record data on commercial aircraft, that will help officials determine what happened. The recorder was recovered.

“We try not to jump to conclusions,” he said when asked if investigators had any ideas as to the cause of the derailment.

The railroad crossing at Beavers Road was blocked for several hours on Sunday with a section of the train that had not overturned. Sease said the derailed cars were back on the track by 3 a.m. Monday.

“The investigation will continue as the cleanup goes on,” he said.

The cars that overturned were carrying lumber and cotton seeds, said Ron Ownby, assistant fire chief for Whitfield County. A spokeswoman with Whitfield 911 said Beavers Road was expected to be opened Monday afternoon.

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