Explosion in world's largest trainyard prompts evacuations.

[Forester1]

The Bailey Train yard in North Platte Nebraska:
https://apnews.com/article/union-pa...us-materials-9527651cde6c629f18bb947f95ab9f42

 

[JCitron]

I've seen that yard twice in real life while out in the North Platte area severe storm chasing. It's huge and takes up a good stretch of land near the city. We approached the yard from the west where there was a long yard lead. There were freights pulling in and out parallel to the highway. The non-rail media... they of course had to make this a bigger deal than it was.

A tank may have overheated, speculation here, due to a cooling system failure - the sparks are a hint.
The tank went pop and stuff came out with acrid smoke.
The FD put the fire out and people had to be evacuated.

If this was a tank truck on I-80...

HEADLINE NEWS!

A tanker truck crashed and there was a fire. People nearby had to be evacuated.

News at 11.

In the meantime, man cuts head of and lived to tell about it and cute babies have snotty noses.

 

[pware]

Your news media (I.e. the Murdoch press) seems to be as bad as ours.

 

[JCitron]

Much of it is Murdoch press.

 

[boleyd]

Short sensational commentary are the fodder of some these days. A proper detailed explanation, they could learn from, is a mental challenge. To bad for them. The story is in the details. But it is easier to turn headlines into propaganda.

 

[Forester1]

Well, if it was perchloric acid, I could see an evacuation downwind. I have visited the golden spike tower there, it is a neat place to get an elevated view and some museum-type displays (like how they fix 10,000 wheels a month!). I love standing on the balcony and listening to the couplers ricocheting down a long line of freight cars. There is also a park north of the railyard where you can explore a steam Challenger, a diesel locomotive, and baggage and RPO cars.

 

[JCitron]

I saw the tower from a distance in 2013 when I was out there. We stayed overnight at the Microtel and then traveled north into northern Montana to chase storms. I saw some great trains on the way too but I wasn't in a position to get some good pictures in the van. I too can see the evacuation for that stuff but then with a truck that would've taken place as well without the breaking news aspect of it. Even the collapse of I-95 headlines didn't last long.