Locomotive catches fire near Alberton

A Montana Rail Link diesel locomotive caught fire near Alberton on Tuesday, August 9. The fire was reported at 5:30 p.m. and several local emergency personnel responded. The train was located near the end of Plateau Road, just west of town. It was heading east when the fire broke out in the second engine.

“This is a very rare occurrence,” said MRL representative, Jim Lewis. “I’ve worked with the company for many years and this is the first time it’s every happened.”

Personnel from the Frenchtown Fire Department, Mineral County Sheriff’s Department, Montana Rail Link, and George Gupton with the Mineral County Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) responded to the fire.

The engine had to be shut down and cooled before crews could start extinguishing the flames. Mel Holtz, with the Frenchtown Fire Department said the engine runs on high voltage electricity. Water conducts electricity and would threaten the safety of the firefighters.

It took up to 30 minutes before the engine was properly shut down and cooled. Crews then started to put out the flames, using a mix of water and foam. By 9 p.m. the flames were extinguished and the locomotive was heading down the tracks to a BNF shop.

None of the cargo was damaged, and the fire was contained to the engine. Holt said no vegetation was destroyed. Gupton commented the emergency went according to plan. Proper emergency personnel were notified and response time was good.

He said the Department of Environmental Quality would be contacted to determine if there would need to be any cleanup.

The engine has a pan underneath that holds 50 gallons of liquid in case of emergencies and leakage. As a result, the spillage was minimal. Gupton said maybe 10 to 20 gallons were spilled on or near the tracks. Not enough to warrant a major cleanup, he said. However, DEQ will assess the situation and make the final determination.

Lewis said the engine would be taken apart at the shop to determine the cause of the fire.