Three Union Pacific Railroad cars derailed Monday evening around 4:20 on the tracks just east of Ham Lane behind Holly Drive.
The three cars were carrying flour and were headed to General Mills, said Zoe Richmond, spokeswoman for Union Pacific. She said the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The train did not tip over but the wheels of several cars had slipped off the track. Splintered railroad ties had piled against the wheels.
Richmond said that the company planned on using a large crane to place the cars back on the track sometime Monday night. Cleanup was not expected to last long since the materials were non-toxic and did not pose any threat to the surrounding area.
"It's a very small area, so (cleanup) is not going to be too much of an issue," Richmond said.
The accident occurred in an "industrial lead" which Richmond said means the area is not a main track, so the accident did not affect train traffic.
However, for Holly Drive resident Nolan Meyers, having a train jump the tracks right behind his backyard fence was something he never thought he'd experience.
Meyers said he heard the train backing up but didn't realize anything was wrong until he heard a crashing and screeching sound.
"It just sounded like the loudest sound," Meyers said. "I just thought to myself, 'that doesn't sound right.'"
Meyers said after rushing out of the front of his home thinking there had been a car accident, he looked out back and saw three train cars had derailed.
Even though he is used to having trains close to his fence, Meyers said this time, the cars looked too close for comfort.
The cars had crushed through the railroad ties and sparks flying from the screeching wheels had started a small fire.
"The area around the tracks was on fire so we took the hose from the backyard and put it out," Meyers said.
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