Derailed Train Cars Crash Through Building
WELD COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- A local business was forced to tape off portions of its facility Thursday morning, after a train derailed nearby, causing several train cars to crash into the building.
Larry Lande, spokesman for Northern Feed and Bean, told CBS4's Dillon Thomas at least six of the 25 cars which derailed ended up crashing into his facility. Several large holes were left in the side of of the building, which is located north of Greeley on Highway 85.
"I was pretty well shocked. I couldn't have imagined the devastation we had," Lande said.
Northern Feed and Bean is located just feet away from a Union Pacific railroad. Lande said the staff was obviously aware of the danger of working near a railroad. However, the staff never believed one would crash through their building.
"We were always concerned about the railroad coming by. You always joke about a car coming through the wall, but not six of them," Lande said.
The train that crashed through the building was carrying hundreds of tons of coal. The coal was en route from Wyoming to Colorado Springs, according to Union Pacific.
Twenty-five cars toppled over, all of which dumped coal along the railway. Crews spent all of Thursday attempting to clear coal from the railroad, while also replacing damaged tracks.
As crews spent Thursday cleaning the coal away. Meanwhile, Lande's team were left with few options, but to clear damaged product, and wait for someone to repair their severe damages.
Lande said the extreme weight of the train may have caused structural damage to their facility.
"We are concerned about the loss of business. We are concerned about the structure, and the safety issues we could have," Lande said. "I think we are going to see concrete damage. Things we are not seeing on the surface."
Union Pacific told CBS4 they were not sure what caused the crash. They said they had a team from Utah, and Denver, surveying what may have triggered the derailment.
Nobody was injured in the incident.
Dillon Thomas is a reporter at CBS4 and a Colorado native. He believes everyone has a story, and would love to share yours! You can find more of his stories by following him on Twitter, @DillonMThomas.