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....