ADAMS, Mass. — A malfunctioning heating pad is the suspected cause for a fire at one of the Hoosac Valley Service's train cars. 

 

The fire broke out about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, and posts to Facebook show heavy flames and smokes on the side of the historic Budd Car 41. 

 

"We got dispatched to a train on fire, and when we got here, that's exactly what it was. It was a train on fire," said Fire Chief David Lennon. "We did have flames showing. We did have information from dispatch that there were no people on board. It was locked."

 

The incident is still under investigation but he said the best guess was the heating pad to keep the lines warm malfunctioned and the drip pads underneath ignited. 

 

Melanie Seiden, executive director of the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, said the weekend rides had been completed for the day and only some staff were still at the Adams Station. 

 

The rides are approximately an hour and the last one is usually completed around 4 p.m. The last two weekends have been fall foliage rides and a Halloween one is scheduled for next weekend. 

 

Seiden said car will be taken out of service and that scheduled rides will go on.