FREIGHT TRAIN DERAILS NEAR COLLEGE Photo here: [www.eacourier.com] Caption reads: Weather blamed for track failure THATCHER, AZ -- No injuries were reported when 10 empty freight cars jumped the tracks in Thatcher, just east of the Eastern Arizona College. Dennis Giacoletti, general manager of the Arizona Eastern Railway, said the tracks were repaired by 16:30 on Jan. 30 - about 13 hours after the cars left the tracks at approximately 03:30. "The trains are back running," Giacoletti said Wednesday morning. According to Giacoletti, the 36-car eastbound freight train included 12 loaded hopper cars and 24 empties. Ten of the empty hopper cars left the tracks. Hopper cars are freight cars that may be opened from the bottom to unload their contents. "A rail broke under the train heading east," Giacoletti said. "No loads derailed." He said the railroad tracks held up under the load of the engine and loaded cars, but a stretch of track about 100 yards in length buckled under the empty cars. Giacoletti said the accident happened in an area where the tracks had been upgraded. Had the upgrades not been done, the whole train may have derailed. Giacoletti blamed the unusually cold and wet weather for weakening the ties. Giacoletti said the engineer realized something was seriously wrong when the train was moving smoothly through Thatcher then suddenly began to jerk. He said the engineer then quickly applied the emergency brakes to stop the train. Arizona Eastern Railway hauls copper anodes, copper cathodes, copper rods and copper concentrate for Phelps Dodge Mining Company. - Diane Saunders, The Eastern Arizona Courier
Seems to be an oddly written story. There is a disconnected mention of upgrade. But not what, when , how... Weakened ties? Boxcab E50
