Derailment spurs memories of 1999 'Silver Bullet Derby'
An image published in the July 14, 1999 Clark Fork Valley Press shows Coors Light beer scooped up following a train derailment into the Clark Fork River near Plains. (Valley Press FILE)
An image published in the July 14, 1999 Clark Fork Valley Press shows a Montana Rail Link derailment near Plains. (Valley Press FILE)
Sunday’s Montana Rail Link derailment near Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort brought back memories for some locals who recalled a similar incident more than two decades ago.
In July 1999, a Montana Rail Link freight train derailed between Paradise and Plains, spilling hot liquid asphalt, corn syrup and an estimate 8,000 12-packs of Coors Light beer into the Clark Fork River — the latter setting off the so-called “Silver Bullet Derby.”
The incident was eerily similar to Sunday’s derailment, which also dumped cases of Coors Light and Blue Moon beer into the river. Photos taken Sunday show a few intrepid boaters hoisting some beer bottles from the crash site.
According to Valley Press archive, the 1999 derailment was possibly caused by a sun kink in the tracks. No one was injured in that incident, including two transients who had hopped on the back railcar.
Sunday’s derailment remains under investigation.
