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Antelope survives Roseville Rail Yard explosions - twice!
The first time
On April 28, 1973, Antelope consisted of a post office, general store and a half-dozen homes - a place hardly worthy of notice. However, at 8:03 a.m., a rail car loaded with aircraft bombs exploded in the southern part of the Roseville switch yard removing all traces of Antelope. The train was headed for Port Chicago in Contra Costa County and among its manifest were 7,000 Mark 81 aircraft bombs (250 lbs each) and tanker cars carrying liquefied petroleum. The blasts from the Southern Pacific yard were felt in downtown Sacramento where the state Capitol building was closed due to concerns of its dome shifting with the concussions.
Gov. Ronald Reagan declared a state of emergency for the surrounding area, but Antelope was reduced to charred wood and concrete slabs. No one was killed in the explosions, but the blast resulted in $7 million worth of damage to the rail yard, houses and businesses stretching from Roseville to North Highlands.
The second time
In the late 1990s, the Roseville Rail Yard, now under the ownership of Union Pacific, embarked upon a major remodel of the entire rail yard. Miles of tracks and ties were removed and earth-moving equipment began to reshape the yard.
The bulldozers quickly began uncovering unexploded bombs left over from the 1973 accident. Over the course of the several months, the site was scanned, examined, declared safe, and then re-examined as bombs continued to be discovered.
The first few bombs discovered were detonated on-site sending a resounding boom that could be heard for miles around, and bomb fragments into the homes of Citrus Heights. As more bombs were discovered, and as angry residents complained about detonating the bombs, the remaining munition was transported to the Bay Area and transferred to a weapons-disposal company.
Finally declared safe, UP finished the rail yard renovation and no new explosions have occurred - so far.
Additional Rail Yard Explosion Resources:
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