Ford has had it rough lately: in June, the company had to halt the production of the new Bronco and F-150 due to floods, and now, a large freight train packed full of new F-150 pickups went off the rails in Missouri, wrecking much of the cargo.
At least 15 carriages out of 44 ended up on the ground, and the others will need to be inspected for damages. Preliminary estimates suggest at least 450 cars were damaged in the incident, many of them beyond repair. Fortunately, no people were killed.
The reasons behind the incident remain to be established. The railway section remains blocked for the time being, and reports from the spot suggest emergency crews will need special machinery and several days of continuous working to clear up the debris. Restoring the railway bed might take even longer.
In all likelihood, Ford will want to salvage the destroyed cars for components, especially the precious semiconductors, and put them in other cars.