Ellicott City's Main St. reopen

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. - It's beginning to look like the historic town built around the railroad.  After several tests, the first train since the deadly derailment passed through downtown Ellicott City Friday evening.

Shoppers are out, and there's a place for outside eating.  The roads are touched up and cars are finally allowed to come through.

"From day one, we were very clear with CSX that they don't get back to business until this town gets back to business," said County Executive Ken Ulman, Howard County.

Ulman is happy with the progress but it's tough to celebrate when flowers serve to remind us of two 19 year olds lost.  Rose Mayr and Elizabeth Nass were on the bridge when the train derailed and 21 cars flipped over, spilling coal.

Sally Tennant owns Discoveries along Main St. Her son went to Mount Hebron High with the victims.

"We shutdown for one day and I knew that it was probably fairly useless to open one of the other days, but we did and a fair amount of people came in," said Tennant.   

Friday night shows more promise outside of her business but there's still work to be done over the next several days.

"CSX is going to be back in here within the next few weeks to fix the retaining wall in Lot B.  We've got some roadwork, some curb and gutter work still to do," said Ulman.   

The railroad town is getting back to normal, but it's still a day of mourning as two families have forever changed.

"There's no way around it being a trying time, but it is what it is so you can't change that," said Tennant.   

Ulman said there will be additional work on the fencing and signage to keep people away from the train tracks.  Also, there is talk about making a permanent memorial garden to remember the two victims