It wasn't exactly a bomb train, but last night in Slinger, WI (about 20-30 minutes northwest of Milwaukee proper) two trains collided, spilling approximately 5000 gallons of diesel fuel on the scene:
Chief Hanke says three engines derailed — and 10 rail cars derailed as a result of the collision.
Chief Hanke says hazmat crews have been called to the scene, as 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled as a result of the collision.
It began when two separate trains collided — a Canadian National train, and a Wisconsin Southern train. Chief Hanke says the tracks cross at the point where the trains collided — roughly a quarter-mile east of Kettle Moraine Road.
Putting aside the immediate question of how this could have happened in the first place, this is just another entry into a growing list of rail incidents that could have turned out much worse had the payloads been different on these tracks. So far, we have been lucky in that there have been few catastrophic incidents; eventually though,
that luck will run out.
Further information available here.