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No reminder ever should be necessary regarding the importance of keeping debris off or from very near to railroad tracks.
That does not suggest any need for "dusting" the tracks like people or most businesses do to maintain the appearance or general condition of furniture, desks or other items in homes or workplaces.
However, keeping railroad tracks free of debris of any significant size is a safety imperative, not just for trains but also for homes or whatever else of any importance that might be near the tracks.
And, the necessity for "clear" tracks is no less relevant for small communities or rural or remote stretches of railroad right of way than in railroad centers such as Altoona, industrial communities like Johns-
town and Pittsburgh, or in relatively close proximity to schools or other facilities.
Keeping debris off tracks makes sense. Intentional acts of vandalism to tracks, or creating conditions that could lead to a derailment or other damage, is criminal.
Attention to this issue rarely is necessary, judging from the record of safe passenger and freight railroading, in Pennsylvania and across the United States. However, a situation on or just before Tuesday morning in Altoona makes it necessary to "visit" the issue.
What was described in news accounts as "a piece of junk" tore open a fuel tank on a Norfolk Southern locomotive, resulting in a fuel spill and a necessary cleanup operation near a bridge in the city.
"Debris near or in the gauge kicked up and ruptured the fuel tank" was the description of the incident provided to the Mirror by a Norfolk Southern spokesman.
"The spill was 450 gallons of diesel," the spokesman added.
Fortunately, the spill was able to be contained to the railroad right of way by crews who responded quickly to the incident.
The NS spokesman said the railroad would monitor the site as the snow melts to ensure no further cleanup work is needed.
From the standpoint of the incident's size and scope, an immediate notification to city firefighters, police and other emergency services apparently was not proscribed. Altoona Fire Chief Tim Hileman confirmed to the Mirror that immediate notification had not been received by his department.
"It happened on private property," Hileman said. He indicated that there apparently was no hazard to anyone.
Nevertheless, any fuel spill carries with it even minor risks to people involved in the cleanup.
Initial news accounts dealing with the incident did not speculate on the reason why the debris in question was on or very close to the railroad track where the fuel tank was damaged. Maybe the incident was not caused by an intentional act of creating a hazardous condition on the track; perhaps the debris was "deposited" by another train that had traversed that area of track.
However, when there is a bridge nearby, as there was in the incident in question, railroad officials and workers, as well as the public, are prone to be at least a bit suspicious regarding the debris' origin.
Altoona and every other place where railroad tracks exist must be vigilant about the condition of those tracks and remove and/or notify emergency officials about a potentially hazardous situation.
The spill in question would not have occurred if such a response had taken place at the site in question.