Train derails in Steilacoom

South of the new Chambers Bay golf course, at the McNeil and Anderson Island ferry dock in Steilacoom, a freight train derailed sometime after 3am, tearing up a section of train tracks and scattering over a dozen train cars along the shoreline below the old Rogers Mansion.

Hours later, floats were in place to contain whatever might have spilled in the Puget Sound and the area by the ferry dock was under repair. Where the track’s metal rails intersect the ferry dock car ramp, something went terribly wrong. I witnessed asphalt work being done, I believe inbetween ferry runs. I heard the ferry was running again, so they must cover their work with metal plates during the unloading and loading and then get right back after it during down times.

It was pretty impressive, at any rate, to see that the situation had most definitely improved significantly by the time I visited around 11am. Assuming nobody was badly injured, the potential for injury could have been staggering, as the whole thing appeared to have taken place in an area that could have a lot of people around, had it occurred during the day.

The overgrown bluff from which most of the wreck could be seen was less than ideal for snapping photos, but I did my best. Have a looksee: