Watch Onboard As A Twister Plows Through A Freight Train
If you’re anything like most of the Jalopnik staff, you’ve probable dreamed of becoming a storm chaser at some point in your life. The idea of running down twisters at the wheel of a Subaru Crosstrek is a pretty fun vision, but what if I told you that you could forge a successful storm chasing career as a humble train driver?
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That’s exactly what the crew of one BNSF freighter discovered last week when their locomotive was caught up in the heart of a twister in Nebraska, reports the Weather Network. On Friday, severe storms brought twisters to the midwest, which ripped out trees, damaged houses and tossed cars aside like toys.
In the midst of all that, a train crew was piloting a massive freighter between Waverly and Lincoln, Nebraska. The crew was forced to bring the train to a stop while they waited for a signal in the middle of the storms and, while sitting patiently, spied a twister headed straight for the locomotive.
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Instead of running for cover, the crew remained in the safety of the engine, which could have weighed anywhere between 100 and 200 tons. In the safety of their metal cab, the crew set about filming the oncoming storm, which was ripping up detritus as it edged ever closer to the front of the train. As the Weather Network explains:
The whole ordeal only lasted a short moment, but from the video, viewers can see the aftermath of tree limbs thrown about everywhere, dirt caking the train, and even one of the side windows shattered.
The tornado also derailed several railcars, completely flipping them off the tracks and rendering the train immobile. Luckily, both men were uninjured.
Thankfully, the locomotive that the crew is sheltered in appears unscathed by the ordeal. However, carriage further back on the train were flipped off the tracks by the storm.
There were no injuries as a result of the twister strike, reports news outlet trains.com, and authorities confirmed that no hazardous materials were released as a result of the derailment.
