Crews trying to get Boeing 737 fuselages out of Montana river

ALBERTON, Mont., July 7 (UPI) -- Montana Rail Link was doing some heavy lifting Monday as crews struggled to remove three Boeing 737 fuselages from a river.

The aircraft components, which were being shipped from a plant in Kansas to one in Washington State, spilled in a train derailment Thursday afternoon along the Clark Fork River. The fuselages tumbled down the river's steep banks.

Lynda Frost, a Montana Rail Link spokeswoman, said crews began trying to move the fuselages Sunday morning, using heavy equipment brought into the area. She said the job will probably take until at least Tuesday.

"It's taking longer than we had originally anticipated," she told the Missoulian.

The rail line was reopened Saturday, although Frost said some shutdowns are likely because of the work. A total of 19 cars derailed, including seven loaded with Boeing parts and others carrying denatured alcohol and soybeans that did not spill.

Boeing said it has a crew on the scene to examine the aircraft components to determine if they can be repaired.