New Hampshire Train Derailment Traps Two

Feb. 10, 2011
CONCORD, N.H. -- A train engine derailed in Concord on Wednesday and landed on its side in an accident railroad officials are blaming on snowmobilers. Concord Fire Chief Dan Andrus said two people were trapped inside and had to be extricated. One was taken to a hospital with head and leg injuries, while the other had no significant injuries The accident happened on the tracks near the Horseshoe Pond.

CONCORD, N.H. --

A train engine derailed in Concord on Wednesday and landed on its side in an accident railroad officials are blaming on snowmobilers.

Concord Fire Chief Dan Andrus said two people were trapped inside and had to be extricated. One was taken to a hospital with head and leg injuries, while the other had no significant injuries

The accident happened on the tracks near the Horseshoe Pond.

See Images From Derailment

Andrus said the state Department of Transportation will investigate. There was snow on the tracks, but he said it's too early to say what caused the derailment.

But New England Southern Railroad, which operates the train, said that a berm of ice and snow built up by snowmobiles caused the derailment.

"The train was coming southbound on the tracks and stuff, and the crew hit a frost heave, which is created when snowmobiles cross down through the path between the rails of the railroad tracks where they're not supposed to be, and as a result, it can actually pick up the locomotive and cause serious damage," said Karl Dearness of New England Southern Railroad.

The railroad said it will be a major undertaking to get the 300,000-pound train engine set upright. Locomotives with large cranes are being called, but the operation could take a couple of days.

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