At Least 15 Union Pacific Railcars Off The Tracks At Walcott Junction

At least 15 Union Pacific railcars derailed Monday near Walcott Junction in central Carbon County, Wyoming, prompting responses from law enforcement, the railroad and the local power cooperative.

At least three of the derailed cars were tankers, according to a Cowboy State Daily freelance photographer on scene who counted at least 15 cars derailed.

Scanner traffic indicated a propane leak may jeopardize the power lines near County Road 215.

“(There are) over 20 cars involved — they started to smell propane so they backed out,” said a female voice on the Carbon County emergency scanner at about 9:30 a.m. “There are power lines involved as well. The two trains are intermingled together.”

Personnel from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Union Pacific, Hanna town marshal, Carbon County Emergency Medical Services and Carbon County Fire District responded.

An ambulance was called to the scene for standby in light of the propane concern, according to scanner traffic.

Joe Parrie, Carbon County Power and Light director of member services and marketing, confirmed to Cowboy State Daily that law enforcement had called the cooperative to the scene, but he said he hadn’t heard whether propane was the issue. 

“We just got dispatch from the sheriff’s department there was a derailment and it was going to affect our lines,” he said.

Later at about 10:55 a.m. a female voice on the scanner announced that “we have the hazmat sheets on both trains, do you want those printed?”

Two minutes later, personnel on the scanner confirmed the power in the area had been shut off.

The highway patrol left the scene around the time Carbon County Power and Light arrived, according to Cowboy State Daily’s correspondent.

Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken did not immediately respond to a phone message request for comment.

Union Pacific noted in an email at midday Monday that rail cars on two UP trains derailed near Sinclair, there were no injuries, and the incident is under investigation.

That's From The Heater

Carbon County Fire Chief John Rutherford told Cowboy State Daily's correspondent on scene that the derailment stemmed from the "catastrophic failure" of a wheel bearing on one of the tanker cars.

Most of the tankers were hauling a petroleum fuel additive not listed as a hazardous material and that had "already started to evaporate," he said.

Union Pacific took over the investigation around midday, Rutherford added.

"Just looking at the stored energy in that scene is immense," he said. "The rail is under a lot of stress right now. With the sun shining on it, that rail is expanding."

The scene was passive at that time, but that "could change any second," he said, adding that UP would likely separate the railcars that could be separated as it works inward toward the heart of the crash.

The offensive odor on scene was likely from the creosote on area power poles and from a propane tank that operated a switch heater, on which one of the tanker cars landed, said Rutherford.  

Cowboy State Daily freelance photographer Joey Correnti contributed to this report.

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.