A day after a train accident deadlocked Broad Street, workers avoided towering wood piles, broken axles and reporters as they negotiated the rubble left behind.
"Can't answer your questions," several workers responded about overtime wages and the project's duration.
The workers may be on scene for a while if the 28 overturned cars sitting near Chattanooga Creek are any indication.
Company officials say they don't know why Sunday's accident occurred, but they've narrowed it down to three possibilities: a faulty track, overly weighted cars or crew error.
The possibility of crew error will be evaluated with an "event recorder," according to CSX spokesman Gary Sease. Storing every crew instruction and maneuver associated with the train's journey, the event recorder acts the same way a black box does on an airplane.
"We have a high degree of confidence in our workers but something went wrong here," Mr. Sease said. "We need to figure out why."
There were no injuries reported in the crash, but 100 pounds of fertilizer caused a small degree of worry Sunday afternoon. A hazardous materials team coordinated by CSX and the Chattanooga Fire Department determined that the surrounding environment was safe, according to fire department spokesman Bruce Garner.
"It wasn't going to go anywhere unless it rained and it's been clear outside," Mr. Garner said.
How long and at what cost the railroad company will work through the damage remain mysteries. Mr. Sease said workers will be tethered to the project for at least "several more days."
He said it was "highly likely" that several overturned cars contain now-damaged products. The company's insurance policy will help, according to Mr. Sease, but CSX must reimburse any shippers for spoiled goods.
Mr. Sease said crews will move some disabled rail cars to a repair shop. Cars that are especially banged-up will be cut in place and "scrapped for good," he said.
The derailment is the second of the year in Chattanooga after a Norfolk Southern train crashed in January.
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Article: Train cars derail near Broad Street