A piece of junk on or near the mainline tracks in the city tore open a fuel tank on a Norfolk Southern locomotive early this week, leading to a spill, followed by a cleanup Tuesday morning near the 24½ Street bridge.

“Debris near or in the gauge kicked up and ruptured the fuel tank,” stated Norfolk spokesman Connor Spielmaker in an email. “The spill was 450 gallons of diesel.”

The spill was contained to the railroad right of way, Spielmaker wrote.

Crews responded immediately to begin the cleanup, according to Spielmaker.

“We’ll continue monitoring the site as the snow melts to confirm no further action (is) needed,” he wrote.

A reader initially told the Mirror that more fuel than that leaked out.

But the locomotive was “a local and doesn’t carry much fuel,” Spielmaker stated.

“It looks like it was not a reportable amount,” said city Fire Chief Tim Hileman.

At the time, Hileman hadn’t spoken to Norfolk Southern, which didn’t reach out to him about it, he said.

“It happened on private property,” and there was evidently no hazard to anyone, Hileman said.

Based on observations by one of his assistants, it appeared the cleanup crew dug up contaminated ground, he said.

He’s thankful that railroad employees attended to the accident, he added.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.