Single car derailment barely slows UP traffic

A train slipped from the tracks west of Sidney late Monday night. Only one boxcar near the engine was included in the incident and no one was reported injured.

“I wouldn’t classify it a derailment,’ Sheriff John Jenson said.

The incident occurred near Potter and a crew from Kimball was sent to begin clean up. However, it was not necessary to repair nine mile stretch of track involved in the derailment, as nearly no heads were found pulled off the railroad spikes.

Two roads were closed down—county routes 22 and 105—during the inspection and repair process. Highway 30 was unaffected. Clean up lasted well into the day on Tuesday, but travel along the line resumed quickly.

“We got lucky,” Highway Superintendent Tom Noel said. “It went off to the side and we never had to shut down the north track.”

The cause of the incident is still under investigation.

Union Pacific did not return calls for comment.