Brewer traffic delayed after train wheel slips

A wheel on a train slipped off the track in Brewer on Friday, stopping traffic at a busy intersection during a peak travel time.

“At one point, I could see [traffic lined up] all the way into Bangor,” Brewer police Officer Roger Hershey said.

The wheel slipped off the tracks as the train was crossing by State and Center streets about 4:30 p.m., hitting the afternoon commute home, with traffic lining up across the Penobscot Bridge.

“It was an inconvenience at best for the drivers,” Brewer police Cpl. Levi Sewall said. Brewer police officials credited railroad workers with a quick response in getting the wheel back on track. Traffic resumed within about a half-hour, they said.