RAINS GET BLAME IN RAIL WRECK

WITTENBERG -- Heavy rains that collapsed a culvert under the tracks are blamed for the derailment of Burlington Northern freight train in east Perry County late Sunday morning.

Because of the remote location and inaccessibility, railroad officials said it will be some time today before the mainline track between St. Louis and Memphis is reopened.

No one was injured and no hazardous materials were spilled when the two diesel locomotives and 12 cars of the 90-car train left the rails at milepost 98, north of Wittenberg.

Leaking diesel fuel on one of the overturned locomotives ran into a ditch and into the nearby Mississippi River, where it was diluted by the water in the river.

The mishap occurred at about 10:25 a.m., Sunday, according to BN spokesman Jim Sabourian in Fort Worth, Texas.

"Heavy rains that occurred in that area overnight, and early Sunday morning, resulted in a washout which caused the collapse of the culvert under the tracks," Sabourian said. "Both locomotives and 12 cars were derailed and overturned into a ditch alongside the tracks. The train crew was taken to a hospital where they were examined and released."

The train had left St. Louis and was en route to Chaffee for a crew change before reaching its destination in Memphis. It had 51 loaded freight cars and 39 empty cars.

Sabourian said Hulcher Services, a private firm that cleans up derailments, arrived in Perry County late Sunday but was unable to begin work until the ballast for the washed-out track is replaced. Work began on Monday to put down new ballast and reopen the tracks. The overturned locomotives and freight cars will be removed later this week.

Sunday's derailment is the latest in a series of water or weather-related problems that have plagued the BN's River Division this year. The division extends along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Memphis and serves the Rush Island power plant, in addition to the communities of Ste. Genevieve, McBride, Cape Girardeau, Chaffee, Sikeston, and Blytheville, Ark.

The River Division was closed much of this year because of the record-setting flood of 1993. It was reopened a few weeks ago, following extensive repairs to the flood-damaged track bed and rails.