RICHMOND, Va. - Two train cars carrying used railroad ties caught fire in Richmond yesterday, prompting the engineer to disconnect the locomotive, authorities told the Times-Dispatch.
About 40 firefighters hurried to the scene just north of the intersection of Hermitage Road and West Leigh Street shortly before 3 p.m., dousing the flames as a cloud of smoke billowed.
The 30-car train was traveling from the eastern portion of the city to the west, officials said, when the engineer looked back and saw flames. The two cars behind the locomotive, both carrying railroad ties, had caught fire.
City Battalion Chief David Creasy said the ties were old, so the fire spread quickly. "Who knows how old they are? Dried wood like that burns pretty quick," he said.
No injuries were reported.
The engineer disconnected the locomotive from the other cars, Creasy said. "The engineer is pretty well trained to protect his engine," he said.
Authorities temporarily shut down Hermitage Road between Leigh Street and Ownby Lane. The cause of the fires was under investigation.
Creasy said fires on trains are a rarity in Richmond. "We don't get them too often," he said.
(This item appeared in the Times Dispatch July 24, 2009.)
Was the train properly secured before he cut away? Did he have a job briefing with the conductor to apprise him of the change in work conditions? Did they discuss hazardous conditions? Was it really the Boss-o-Train who cut them away, you know how the news and railroads are.
