Occupants escape after truck stalls on tracks
Kyle Bahm’s 1981 Ford truck sustained damage when it was struck by a train near the Natural Pier Bridge outside of Alberton on July 3. (Photo courtesy of the Frenchtown Fire Department)
The Montana Rail Link engine did not sustain damage after hitting a stalled truck on the tracks near Alberton. (Photo courtesy of the Frenchtown Fire Department)
Kyle Balm, 23, knew he was in trouble when he heard a train whistle blow on July 3. His 1981 red Ford truck had stalled on the tracks near the Natural Pier Bridge outside of Alberton.
“The truck stalled out and I slipped down and got stuck and it wouldn’t do anything,” Balm explained. “We had about 30 to 45 seconds to get out of the truck. As soon as it got stuck I heard the train whistle and I told him (Andrew) to get out and I ran to the back and grabbed my dog and got her out.”
Balm, his younger cousin, Andrew Shell, who was visiting from Washington, and his chocolate Lab, all got out of the truck safely before the Montana Rail Link engine hit the vehicle and knocked it off the tracks. The train was only traveling about 25 mph because of the bend it was traveling around. The bend is between two railroad stops and has a speed limit.
The engineer saw the truck on the tracks and had managed to slow to 15 mph, said Frenchtown Fire Department spokesman Mel Holtz, who had arrived at the scene shortly after the 2:30 p.m. incident. The train did not sustain any damage and had come to a complete halt. Other than stalling three other trains traveling down the same track, the incident caused no further problems.
Bahm’s truck sustained minimal damage considering what it had gone through. It was pushed off the tracks and down a small hill onto a dirt road located just west of the bridge. A little farther to the right and it would have been forced off of a cliff.
“Then there would be no saving it,” Bahm said.
The back of the truck sustained some damage and the rear window was broken out but otherwise it looked to be in good condition. Bahm said that if it had been a newer vehicle it probably would have had more damage. He was also relieved the train didn’t lock up its breaks to avoid the collision. If a train does that, the wheels can be damaged with flat spots and would need to be replaced.
The truck had been having carburetor problems and Bahm suspects that’s what caused it to stall out.