Derailment strands 200 passengers
Lucy Lofts reads the book, "Here Comes the Train," to her son Christopher while the 3-year-old's father, Guy, listens. The family from Madison, Wis., was among passengers stranded in Libby for more than four hours Tuesday. (Photo by Paul Sievers)
By GWEN ALBERS Western News Reporter
Bill Edwards on a still-dark, frosty Tuesday morning waited at the Amtrak station for his train to Chicago.
Edwards, 60, and his wife, Linda, of Libby watched for nearly 90 minutes to the west for a headlight after the train missed its scheduled 5:41 arrival.
"We thought we heard it about a half dozen times," he said.
To the Edwards' surprise, four to five buses showed at the station via Mineral Avenue instead.
Aboard were about 200 eastbound Amtrak passengers, most of whom joined Edwards in the cold. Awoken at 1 a.m. in Spokane, the passengers had to get off the train and travel by bus to Libby after a freight train derailed at about 11 p.m. Monday between Sandpoint and Elmira, Idaho. They arrived here at 7 a.m.
Westbound passengers got off in Libby and took buses to Spokane; that train then turned around in Troy and returned to Libby for the eastbound travelers.
And, as expected, Libby took care of the stranded travelers.
During the more than four-hour layover, The Mint Bar at nearby 110 Mineral Avenue gave away coffee to passengers who stopped in.
"We have free coffee all the time," said Don Loveall, who opens the bar at 5:30 a.m. to clean. "We went through three pots."
Achievements Inc., a non-profit agency at 101 Mineral Ave. that works with mentally and developmentally disabled adults, also served coffee and doughnuts, and gave stuffed animals to the kids.
"There were so many people out there waiting," said Sharon Chumley, spokesperson for Achievements. "We went up and got 20 boxes of doughnuts from Rosauers."
"They seemed so impressed," said Chumley, who gave one man a ride to a bank cash machine.
Others got rides to the Town Pump for cigarettes.
Achievements client Pat Scott, known to many round town, introduced himself to some passengers.
"He would ask when their birth date was, and if they said '1952,' he told them what day they were born," Chumley said.
To say thank-you, the passengers collected $210 for Achievements. The money will help pay for the center's basketball team to go to Special Olympics USA National Games this summer in Ames, Iowa.
Ray Lang, director of government affairs for Amtrak in Chicago, came to Libby by train after hearing about the derailment. Lang was in Helena to meet with Montana Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger.
"We couldn't run the train," he said about the need to detour passengers.
It was expected to take 14 to 18 hours to clean up the derailment of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train on the Bonner-Boundary County line. Out of the 105 freight cars, 13 derailed, spilling grain.
While waiting for the Amtrak train, passengers crammed in the Libby station for warmth. The majority waited outside, huddled in blankets and small groups.
Marlys Davidsen of Libby was amongst passengers. Davidsen was going to Shelby with her grandsons, Travis, 17, and Roy, 13, who had been visiting here for spring break. Davidsen wanted to surprise her son and the boys' father, Richard, for his 40th birthday on Friday.
The delay wouldn't spoil the surprise, Davidsen said.
Bob Walker wasn't too happy about the first night on his 34-day train trip.
"They woke us at 1 a.m. from our sleeping cars and crammed us in the bus," said Walker, 64, of Salem, Ore. "I'm an old person and don't take to change very well."
"I think they owe me," said Pam Eisenbart, who with her husband, Steve, was returning to Kalispell from an Easter visit to Seattle. "They woke us up and said 'they were taking us to Libby.'"
"They dropped us off in the cold," added Beth Thomas of Bella Vista, Ark., who takes the train a lot for her job.
Thomas delivers vehicles. Taking the train from Portland to Shelby, she planned to pick up a garbage truck from Canada to drive to Los Angeles.
"Thank goodness I don't need to get it until Wednesday," said Thomas. "I take the train as often as possible. Sometimes I rent a car and sometimes I take the bus."
Once the passengers got on board at about 11:15 a.m., Amtrak planned to do something.
"Hopefully we will give away complimentary food," Lang said.