Cars separate on New York City-bound train from Montreal

A New York City-bound Amtrak train out of Montreal became disabled the night before American Thanksgiving one of the busiest travel days of the year when two of its cars separated.

There were no reports of injuries among the 287 passengers and crew, although it wasn't clear what caused the problem.

Train 68 called the Adirondack was heading from Montreal when the train experienced what Amtrak called a "mechanical issue" near Albany, N.Y., just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Chuck Reeves, a New York software engineer, was on his way to his parents' home on Long Island for Thanksgiving and had boarded the first car behind the locomotive in Albany.

Shortly after the train pulled away, he said he and other passengers heard a pop and a hiss, smelled something burning and felt a rush of cold air before noticing the separation.

Some crying children were comforted by their parents, Reeves said, but for the most part no one panicked and a state trooper soon boarded to make sure everyone was safe.

"Everyone started turning around," he said, only to see there was no more train behind them.

The train soon slowed to a stopand a conductor left the detached cars behind and boarded his car.

Another train was brought in to take passengers on the rest of their journey.