Truck smacks train closing highway 36

The sound of train whistles was noticeably absent in Superior last Thursday.

The line, which carries mostly empty northbound traffic between Newton and Hastings, was unexpectedly closed about 8:30 that morning by a traffic accident.

A Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train was passing through Courtland enroute to Superior and a crew change. As it crossed Highway 36, several cars derailed as the train was struck by a loaded semitrailer truck.

The vision of the driver of the slow moving truck was apparently limited by the heavy fog which blanketed the area at the time of the accident.

The we...