manchacrr
Lead Service Attendant
Yesterday's westbound CZ derailed in Denver.
Link: California Zephyr Derailment
Link: California Zephyr Derailment
DENVER -- An Amtrak train that left Chicago Friday derailed Saturday morning in Denver, causing long delays for the 177 passengers and 12 crew members on board. People waiting to embark the California Zephyr also waited for hours at Union Station in downtown Denver. Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm says it happened about 8:40 a.m. near 26TH Ave. and Arkins Ct.
A baggage car and an employee dorm car jumped about a foot off the tracks when a piece of rail broke. At least one employee was in the dorm car when it derailed, but no one was hurt. Kulm says the train was travelling at a low speed as it transitioned from a main line to the yard track.
"All of a sudden I heard this loud bang. And saw the baggage cart swinging back and forth, come off the tracks. It went about 100 feet with it dragging it, before they stopped," says train enthusiast Phil Hedges. He was taking photos when the California Zephyr suddenly departed from its scheduled route. "They said it derailed -- lots of damage. They had to replace cars," says Rachel Eisele of Cedaredge, who had been waiting to depart to Grand Junction since 7 a.m. "We are waiting for my mother-in-law. She is coming in on the train from Burlington, Iowa," says Jessica McCane of Aurora. They had also been waiting as long. "She said they are maybe half a mile from here," says McCane.
They had travelled hundreds of miles--only to stop just short of their destination where they'd wait for two-and-a-half hours. "You can see the car derailed about a foot off the rail," says stranded passenger John Merenda, of West Bloomfield Michigan, visiting his son in Littleton. But at last, after a weary day of waiting, the train pulls into the depot about 11:30 a.m. "It was long. It was a lot of anticipation because I was so close to home--but not quite here, " says Tesia Kolodziejczy, coming from college in Illinois for the holidays.
For some, the derailment meant disappointment. "I missed my grandson's first program at preschool. That was kind of hard. And my daughter left here to go watch it 'cause we told her to go," says Debbi Melaragno visiting from Cleveland, Ohio. "They had to shut the power off and everything, bathroom and all," laughs Janice Ledbetter.
It took crews about six hours to upright the two derailed cars back to the tracks. It took crews even longer to repair the rail. As of 6 p.m. Saturday, they were still working on it. But by noon, the California Zephyr was again headed west.
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