On Tuesday afternoon, April 12, 2005, Amtrak train #7, the westbound Empire Builder, derailed two cars in the crossover near Grand Avenue Junction, just north of Miller Park. Due to the slow speed at which the train was traveling, the cars stayed upright and no passengers or crew were injured. Cleanup operations for this derailment took place after dark, with the Canadian Pacific Railway (the owner of the tracks) sending a yard switcher out to pull the last, non-derailed cars back to the depot. The story made major news on all of the local TV stations, with each sending out a news van to get footage.
Although I had seen #7 stopped near Grand Avenue Junction when I drove past on I-94 earlier, it wasn't until I checked my e-mail from my worksite later that I realized what had happened. As a result, I got to the derailment well after dark, and got night photos of the derailed cars, the locomotives, and the beginning of the cleanup operations.
Click here to start viewing the album, or click a thumbnail to enlarge it. Press F11 to toggle full-screen view (in most browsers).
Last updated 9/4/2006 -MH
