In the early afternoon of July 4, 2012, the Northbrook, IL, Fire Department received calls for a train derailment near the Glenview-Northbrook border. Glenview Engine 8 and Northbrook Tower 12 were the first units to arrive. A brushfire was burning along the road. Multiple coal cars were derailed and spilled coal from the overpass to the street below.
Salvage crews found two bodies in a car under the bridge 17 hours after the accident. A box alarm was struck for manpower for the excessive heat, but the companies were released. The derailment may have been caused by high heat. An investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration is expected to take months.
The railroad bridge at Shermer Road just south of Willow was rebuilt in November 2009 after a derailment at the site.
