Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

Two trains collided on the tracks just west of the Town of Golden at Anderson Crossing recently, causing a derailed potash car to rupture a nearby propane tank which set off a massive fireball.

At 3:14 p.m. MST, on March 3, the derailment occurred, involving an east bound train carrying empty grain cars and a west bound potash train. A total of three locomotives were derailed during the crash and approximately 33 train cars, 10 of which leaked an innocuous type of potash. One of the locomotives involved in the crash leaked a small amount of diesel fuel, but CPR has said that any spilt fuel has been contained and vacuum trucks were called on site to tend to the wastage.

Golden Fire Department, Golden RCMP and Ambulance services responded immediately to contain the situation.

Two CP crew members were taken to the Golden Hospital, where one member was released shortly after being admitted. Late Thursday, March 4, the second crew member was transferred to Calgary Foothills Hospital for additional observation. That crew member has since been released from hospital.

Nearby resident, Roger Audet, was working in his backyard at the time the incident occurred. He reported hearing a series of loud bangs as the train came crashing to a halt, followed by a large explosion as the train car cut the propane tank in half.

The explosion from the tank was massive, said Audet. It sent up flames 150 feet wide and 200 feet high. It must have lasted about 30 seconds.

Fire Chief Shawn Tomash reported that when the crew initially arrived on the scene there was some concern because of a possible propane leak. They quickly realized there was no threat because most of the fuel had burnt off in the blast, but they did prepare for a possible evacuation of the area.

Luckily the wind was in our favour, said Tomash, if the wind was blowing towards town it is possible that a few of the nearby houses could have caught flame. But, there was very little wind at all.

The explosion lit up some dry grass, trees and brush in the field nearby. There was also a small abandoned garage that caught fire, which was put out, as well as an abandoned trailer that started to catch fire and was dealt with quickly.

CP Media Relations Manager Kevin Hrysak spoke in praise of local emergency crews. "We commend the first responders in the Golden area. They were on the scene very quickly and were able to assess any personal injuries and any threat to public safety."

Cleanup at the site is ongoing and many of the wrecked train cars have been piled to the side of the tracks. One locomotive sits at rest on the ground with a broken snow plow. The cause of the incident is still unknown and investigations into the matter are continuing.

Single rail traffic was restored at approximately 6:00 p.m. MST on Thursday, March 4.