31 cars left the tracks including a liquid tank car carrying white (yellow) phosphorus. On this date, 35 years ago, 15 cars of a 144-car freight train went off the tracks and a tanker car containing while phosphorous began burning uncontrollably, sending a Heres a morbid look back at the bloodiest derailments of Americas past. Mixing the gases changes their physical characteristics like boiling point. (Courtesy: Waverly Fire Department.). The fire chief, police chief, a fire crew, and two representatives of the Tennessee Civil Defense were on scene along with workers from the L&N Railroad along with personnel from the Liquid Transport Company. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) eventually blamed the blast on the car itself, as a crack had developed when the car was damaged by the derailment. Yesterday a friend and I visited the site of the accident that killed six people. A cloud of chlorine gas that escaped from a derailed freight train and has already killed eight people floated north, triggering a string of evacuations in its path. As fireman, Shaluta was responsible for restoring electrical service to the cars, which he did, and the passengers and crew settled in to wait for the bus that would transport everyone on to Parkersburg. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run crash while riding, Schwinn stepping down as commissioner of education;, Pay-per-article service coming to Twitter, Whats happening in Nashville this month? This may have been one of the primary factors, which allowed response personnel and others let down their guard leading to disaster two days later. Waverly, Tennessee, train derailment explosion in 1978 Even after all the media coverage and investigations ended, nobody knows for sure the cause behind the events of that night. I sent a letter to the commissioner, and two and a half months after I left the railroad I had a job.. He said sections of the track on both sides of the point of derailment "are still in very excellent condition.". involving tank #83013). The Waverly incident also resulted in many changes in both tactics for dealing with LPG fires in containers, and safety equipment on railroads. A train derailment and explosion in 2013 in Rosedale (Figure 5.16). Wc need to evaluate the situation and make sure there is a good reason to cool the tanks. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. 80 mph Recorded on Curve Before Train Wreck - The Forty-three cars of the Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay freight train jumped the tracks about 2 a.m. CST Sunday.