FOSTORIA, Ohio — High winds are being blamed for the derailment of 18 cars of a CSX intermodal train near Fostoria early Thursday, WTOL-TV reports.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that it called to the scene at approximately 12:42 a.m. after being informed of the derailment. The train was stationary at the time, and no injuries occurred and no hazardous materials were involved. Two roads were closed as a result.
The derailment occurred about the time that the area was being hit by a heavy thunderstorm with wind gusts up to 45 mph. CSX said in a statement to WTOL that winds caused the incident.
Fostoria is approximately 100 miles west of Cleveland and 40 miles south of Toledo, Ohio.
It may have been a thunderstorm micro burst. They are killers of airplanes as well. Wonder if the center of gravity is higher on loaded auto carriers or empty ones. That is assuming all auto are the same weight. Heavier vehicles on top???
I would guess there was more than a 45 mph wind gust causing the derailment. I’m sure a wind burst (heavy thunderstorm) was in there somewhere. If 45 mph could cause the derailment there would be derailments every day on every railroad west between the Mississippi river and the west coast.
Let’s recall that rail operators have accepted that strong winds (47 to 54 mph) can present a considerable risk to their operations. Lighter trains or those carrying high-profile cargo (like containers) may be more vulnerable.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün