With the exception of a minor cut on the hand suffered by Janes Johnston, brakeman on the eastbound freight train, no one else was injured. Amazingly, none of the engines turned over. The cause of the derailment was a broken piece of rail, only 12 inches long, from the south rail.

The train, consisting of 163 cars, was traveling at 18 mph after entering the passing track. Only 10 cars were on the siding while the remainder were on the main line to the west. From his post on the south side of the lead unit, Engineer Bill Schafer saw the missing piece of rail and set the brakes to minimize the damage.

One tanker behind the five engines was derailed but the second tanker had both the front and rear wheels on the track despite a secion of the rail between the wheels being completely gone.

Within an hour, the superintendent of the Omaha region was on site. A grade was built a few feet north of the main line and the tracks were bowed around the wreckage by hooking a Caterpillar tractor on the rail section and exerting the needed force. Within 6 hours, the stopped Denver Zypher was able to go through, inching its way around the accident. Approximately 50 crewmen were called in along with two derricks, each rated at 195 tons of lifting power.

Damage to the five locomotives was estimated to be about $100,000. Each was lifted back onto the repaired track and none of their wheels needed replacing.