MADRAS, Ore. — An 80-car freight train struck two large boulders that fell onto the BNSF Railway tracks in a remote area about 20 miles north of Madras, Oregon, causing five locomotives and a rail car to derail, closing the line and bringing out emergency crews.
The Oregon DEQ estimates 4,000 gallons of diesel spilled from one engine's fuel tank. The diesel did not reach nearby Trout Creek, which is a tributary of the Deschutes River.
KTVZ reports there were no injuries and all of the cars remained upright.
BNSF regional spokesman Gus Melonas said the derailment happened about 2:30 a.m. Monday, involving a northbound freight train traveling from Bakersfield, California, to Pasco, Washington.
Along with the five locomotives, the train was hauling 11 rail cars loaded with freight and 64 empty cars.
