Seven cars of a 77-car DM&E grain train traveling from Huron, S.

Tuesday, August 03, 1999

Seven cars of a 77-car DM&E grain train traveling from Huron, S.D. to Mason City, Iowa derailed in Albert Lea near Front Street Monday.

The 6 p.m. derailment left a small section of the railroad track twisted and torn from its foundation and plowed dirt a couple of feet high, but there were no injuries reported, according to police.

&uot;Thank goodness no one was hurt,&uot; said Roy Srp, Minnesota Community Liaison Officer and Manager of Mechanical Operations for DM&E.

Srp said he couldn’t yet comment about what caused the derailment.

He said the cause is under investigation, but expects an answer today.

&uot;We will be investigating it until tomorrow morning,&uot; Srp said Monday. &uot;We should have an answer then.&uot;

Twin Cities based Hulcher Inc. will remove the damaged cars and should have the track repaired today, he said.

This is the second train derailment in Albert Lea recently.

In August of 1998, seven cars from a 67-car I&M Rail Link train derailed at South Pearl and Mill streets just north of Front Street. That derailment happened when the wheel of a train car lifted off the track.

The I&M train was traveling at 15 mph at the time of the derailment. There were also no injuries in that deraliment.

The speed of the DM&E train wasn’t available Monday.