07:24 AM CDT on Wednesday, June 28, 2006

From 11 News Staff reports

Raw aerials from the scene | Carolyn Campbell's 11 News report

Crews are still cleaning up the mess left after a trail derailed Tuesday afternoon in northeast Harris County at Ralston at Highway 90.

KHOU-TV

The train accident happened along Highway 90.

The accident scattered 10 railcars everywhere, including one off of a bridge into Greens Bayou.

Highway 90 between Oates and John Ralson Road remains closed Wednesday morning.

The railcar that fell into the bayou was carrying plastic pellets, which one worker said are used to make water bottles.

Crews are using a vacuum system to remove the pellets, but several loads of dirt were trucked in to build a road to get below the bridge.

“Basically, I was on my way back to the office and was talking on the phone talking and I messed around and looked up and just saw trains coming off the track.  It just amazed me looking at something coming off the track like this here.  It’s not something you see every day, you know,” said witness Donald Baldwin.

Three to 4 miles of Highway 90 were shut down.

The cars were carrying plastic pellets, but at least two tanks were carrying methanol.

Firefighters were more worried about a small leak of methanol.  It’s toxic, it’s flammable and that’s why they wore HAZMAT suits while they fixed the leak.

The accident occurred around 12:30 p.m.

It is unknown what caused the accident, but no one was injured.