Dixon, IL: UP derailment on 12/24/2020, almost 40 cars on the ground

(Satellite)

No reported injuries.

There have been several derailments in the US in the week before Christmas, 2020, such as a crude oil train in Washington that had a fire and Norfolk Southern in Gary, IN. But this one was close enough to Chicagoland and big enough that I've seen several reports about this one.

WQAD8, Credit: Jaawan Arrington
[The derailment happened just before 1:50am. It appears that the cars were so jumbled that UP had a hard time getting an accurate count of what was on the ground.]
"Just before 5 a.m., Union-Pacific re-contacted the sheriff's office that 29 of their train cars were now derailed spilling diesel fuel, nut oil and sulfuric acid. The spillage was contained and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is on the scene. Around 10:30 a.m. Union-Pacific said a total of 39 out of 201 train cars derailed. The train was hauling mixed freight from Proviso, Illinois to North Platte, Nebraska, Union-Pacific said. Emergency response personnel found products such as lumber, peanut oil and soybeans in the derailed cars. One of the cars was carrying sulfuric acid. Union-Pacific is assessing the scene and contractors are beginning the clean-up process."

Steve Near posted eight photos with the comment: "Just west of the dixon quarry."

Ray Gigear: Piled high and deep... quick stop... I would suspect a broken rail pending further investigation.

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Mitch Hartman: Gotta be broken rail
Marcus Wilmsmeyer: Mitch Hartman Especially because 1 AM was right around the time the temperature nosedived.

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Junior Farmer: Well for one thing FRA lengthened the time for some inspection to appease the railroad companies. Less inspections mean less people.
[This report added the information that no evacuations were required.]