DUFFIELD, W. Va. A Norfolk Southern train traveling through the Duffield area spilled what could be up to 100 tons of coal Thursday along a seven-mile stretch of railroad near Natural Tunnel State Park, the Times News reports.
The spilled occurred when a set of trucks, or wheels, underneath one of the mile-long trains 99 cars came loose, ripping the bottom out of the car and spilling the coal along a stretch of the railroad.
A spokesman for Norfolk Southern said he was not exactly sure how much of the coal spilled out of the damaged car.
I dont know whether the entire load has spilled out of it or not, said Robin Chatman of Norfolk Southern corporate communications. It sounds like it may have since it ripped the bottom out of it.
Chatman said each car can hold up to 100 tons of coal.
The trains entire weight was 14,452 tons.
The spill happened about 7 a.m. as the train passed through the Duffield area.
According to Scott County officials, the train began losing coal at the Duffield railroad overpass.
From there it continued approximately seven miles before coming to a stop in Glenita, about a half-mile east of State Route 812 near Natural Tunnel State Park.
No one was hurt by the spill, and no personal property was impacted, Chatman said, although several private roads and driveways that crossed the tracks were temporarily covered.
Chatman said contractors arrived on the scene about 1 p.m. and had the track cleared with the use of a sweeper machine by 3:30 p.m.
Cleanup crews hoped to have the route reopened by 8 p.m.
The train was loaded at Lee Countys Lone Mountain Processing facility in Benedict and was headed to the Tennessee Valley Authoritys John Sevier Fossil Plant near Rogersville.
(This item appeared in the Times News Oct. 2, 2009.)
Similar kind of story, on a short-line, it didn't get much publicity.
Seems that early last week. 21 coal cars derailed on the TTI railroad. This was on the old Southern tracks that run from Paris, KY to Maysville. Train was 107 cars long and was headed to Maysville to transfer coal to Ohio river barges. Does this seem like a long train in hilly country?
Now you guys ain't going to like this, but R J Corman HQ is located just 50 miles south of the wreck and they responded quickly. It is claimed they had the site cleared up within 24 hours. Probably made a bunch of bucks on this one.
Cause unknown.
Noticed on the photo that the Corman dozer cranes [or whatever they are called] had rubber treads--could go over the road.........................wes
Duffield is in Virginia, not West (by Gawd) Virginia. The Natural Tunnel is in Virginia, Mrs. Valley and I walked through it once, not even sure if you can do that today.
Duffield is a town in Scott County, Virginia, United States. The population was 62 at the 2000 census. It is part of the KingsportBristol (TN)Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson CityKingsportBristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.
-- Edited by Cy Valley on Sunday 4th of October 2009 09:23:32 AM
Short timing once.....they could've re-crewed us at Brunswick......they told us to keep running until we blew up.....Troll blew up at Duffields.....I should've done it at Harpers Ferry.
