Alaska Railroad officials blame
water-softened roadbed for the derailment Monday of five engines and 11
cars of a freight train near Houston. The repair crews on the scene
think it was a flash flood in the mountains that released a surge of water
into the swollen Little Susitna River that caused the wreck. One
engine unit was righted and towed to Houston Tuesday afternoon. Crews
are presently at work building a new roadbed bypassing the wreck and the
rail link is expected to be open tonight or tomorrow.