Train Wrecks, Accidents and Crashes

[wilh]

See as there are topics about specific train wrecks, how about one that is about any sort of train wreck.
If you have an interesting one to share post it here (pictures would be lovely).
Here are three Illinois Central Wrecks.

1.) In 1969, an Illinois Central coal train was speeding down the mainline outside of Riverdale, Illinois. Ahead of this coal train was a string of autoracks being pulled by a switcher. Before the crash though, I believe that the coal train became a runaway and slammed into the rear of the autoracks, throwing twelve of them aside before the lead loco came to rest under the thirteenth one. Around 100 coal cars jackknifed into a space of about one city block, a bridge was collapsed in the wreck, the lead unit which was a U-Boat was totally destroyed, the other two locos which were geeps were returned to service. The crew members on the coal train died and were later found under all of the coal that was piled up where the crash initally began. Here are some pics.

2.) In 1947, the Green Diamond was traveling at 70 mph when it slammed into the side of a coal train crossing the diamonds just out side of Litchfield, quite shockingly, no people were killed

3.) This is the most famous of the three wrecks. In 1972, an Illinois Central commuter train comprised of Highliners was approaching the 27th Street Station in Chicago and overshot the station, well the engineer decided to back the train into the station when another commuter train comprised of old 20's EMUs ran into the rear end killing 45 people. The rear Highliner was not only destroyed but telescoped.

(Surprisingly, the IC is not my favorite Railroad)

 

[jmeinig]

For some odd reason, I cant see why they couldn't rebuild the u-boat on the first crash!:hehe:

 

[JCitron]

I remember when the last accident happened. I was 11 and we were talking about it with some company we had at the house. I don't even live near the IC, in fact I was living about 2,000 east from where the crash occurred!

John

 

[Steveo241]

Now don't show this thread to Woody, I don't think he'd favor it

 

[jadebullet]

An electrician was working on this locomotive in the Saucon Roundhouse(Bethlehem), when he did something that caused it to drive into the turntable pit. It stayed upright, and the wreck crane was called in from Philly. They pulled the loco out, and went back to Philly. They just arrived at Green st. Terminal when they were once again called to the roundhouse. The electrician was working on it some more, and it once again drove into the pit. This time, it drove partway onto the table before flopping over onto its side.

It was scrapped soon after.

 

[wilh]

Can I assume that the electrician was fired shorty after?

 

[jmeinig]

Can I assume that the electrician was fired shorty after?

I hope so!:hehe:

 

[SUBWAY125]

This one was the deadliest

It was caused by the Fat Controller buying a jet turbine for Thomas.
:hehe: :hehe: :hehe: :hehe: :hehe: :hehe:

 

[gary6204]

thats really funny there dude :hehe::hehe::hehe:
almost as funny as the treez idea metioned last year

 

[jake150598]

now where is that picture of the Norwich to Great Yarmouth train crash on a bridge. where everyone died? it occored when a mail train and express were sent on the same track!!!

 

[aske2000]

(Danish)

January 1916 derailed and toppled nine carriages of a freight train at Forlev station. They overturned cars were over the neighbouring lane, where they were hit by an oncoming freight train. An iron pipe was slipped off while driving between the carriages and had caused the derailment

 

[wilh]

Three Canadian Wrecks

1.) I can't tell you much about this wreck, but it off of guesses it seems to be a head on collision. I happened in 1971.

2.) Another head on collision between the ONR Northlander and a CN Switch. This wreck also demonstrates the cab break off of old F and E-Units.

3.) The famous Stewiacke accident the involved a VIA Rail passenger and a switch that was thrown as the train was passing over it.

 

[mrreet]

Three Canadian Wrecks


3.) The famous Stewiacke accident the involved a VIA Rail passenger and a switch that was thrown as the train was passing over

I did that once on a model railroad with similar results.

 

[JCitron]

Here's an interesting link that sums them up well.

http://crazycrashes.wordpress.com/all-the-worst-train-wrecks/

John

 

[SUBWAY125]

~~~~~~~~snip~~~~~~~~~~~

2.) Another head on collision between the ONR Northlander and a CN Switch. This wreck also demonstrates the cab break off of old F and E-Units.

~~~~~~~~~~snip~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow that locomotive completely snapped!

 

[wholbr]

Hi Everybody.
Not wishing to put a dampener on the thread but when looking at the photographs always remember that in many of those accidents people have been killed, dying very often in horrific circumstances. Those who were not killed are often mamed in ways which will affect the rest of their lives and the lives of people that surround them.

As someone who for many years spent his career in workplace health and safety I have all too often had to visit and interview those injured and involved in accidents that occurred in the British road haulage industry. What you see and hear in meeting and interviewing those people are children left without parents, wives left without husbands and career plans and dreams left unobtainable.

When I was training for my job one of the first lectures I went to the tutor made a statement that I always remembered and worked by. He advised there is only one way you can come into this world but there are two ways in which you can go out, either by illness or accident.

With illness your termination can be controlled and you can be made as comfortable as possible. With accident you can be left injured, trapped and dying with uncontrollable physical and mental pain which no one may be in a position to relieve.

Enjoy the postings but at the same time please think on the above.

There is no such thing as an accident, someone is always responsible

Bill

 

[wilh]

That has been in the back of my mind alot of the time

Here are three 30's Wrecks

1.) This first one is, I believe, the famous Red Arrow Wreck when the Pennsy Red Arrow derailed on a curve from excess speed.

2.) This wreck appears to have been a passenger train that sailed into the Mobile River in 1931. (Similar to the 1993 Sunset Limited wreck). Except this wreck was on the L&N, in a different location and it went through an open drawbridge.

3.) Guess this last wreck.

 

[SD45T-2]

It is one of the last scenes in The General. The locomotive was not scarped until WWII

 

[JCitron]

Hi Everybody.
Not wishing to put a dampener on the thread but when looking at the photographs always remember that in many of those accidents people have been killed, dying very often in horrific circumstances. Those who were not killed are often mamed in ways which will affect the rest of their lives and the lives of people that surround them.

As someone who for many years spent his career in workplace health and safety I have all too often had to visit and interview those injured and involved in accidents that occurred in the British road haulage industry. What you see and hear in meeting and interviewing those people are children left without parents, wives left without husbands and career plans and dreams left unobtainable.

When I was training for my job one of the first lectures I went to the tutor made a statement that I always remembered and worked by. He advised there is only one way you can come into this world but there are two ways in which you can go out, either by illness or accident.

With illness your termination can be controlled and you can be made as comfortable as possible. With accident you can be left injured, trapped and dying with uncontrollable physical and mental pain which no one may be in a position to relieve.

Enjoy the postings but at the same time please think on the above.

There is no such thing as an accident, someone is always responsible

Bill

I was thinking about this issue too when looking at the posts. There have been some really horrific rail and road accidents that bring back the reality of what took place.

One of the really bad rail accidents took place in the 1950s when a commuter train was slammed into the rear by and other RDC. The first train was stopped due to a bad snow storm, and the engineer couldn't see the signals.

February 28, 1956 – Swampscott, Massachusetts: A Boston and Maine RailroadRDC train runs into the back of another stationary passenger train which had stopped due to signals being obscured by fallen snow. Thirteen people are killed.

A former neighbor of mine was a conductor on this train and injured his leg in the accident. Swampscott is located on the former Eastern Railroad, and is still a commuter stop on the MBTA Newburyport and Gloucester line.

John

 

[jadebullet]

Perhaps one of the worst disasters on the Reading was the Shoemakersville wreck. It was actually the first major wreck on the Reading. It would be overshadowed at the end of the decade by the Exeter Wreck.

Synopsis: Two coal trains left Pottsville and were heading through Shoemakersville on the banks of the Schuylkill. They were running 10 minutes apart, but the first train suffered an equipment failure, and came to a stop. The second train came up behind the first, and ran into the rear of the train at a low speed. This collision was enough to cause one of the coal hoppers to tip onto its side, and dump coal onto the Northbound track. About 45 seconds later the Schuylkill, a fast passenger train to Pottsville, rounded the bend and hit the coal. The engine and several passenger cars careened into the river.

Below, you can read some newspaper reports on the wreck from the time. They contain the names, and in some cases the injuries, of the dead. (It was a time when there was no radio or TV, and the written word was very descriptive.)


http://www3.gendisasters.com/pennsylvania/768/shoemakersville,-pa-train-wreck,-sept-1890

9 years later disaster would strike again on the P&R. This time at a small station called Exeter. A speeding passenger extra did not see ample signalling, and plowed into the rear of a stopped passenger train. The collision was devastating with 3 cars telescoped. A few weeks later, the town changed its name to Loraine to cut down on people coming to the station to try and find souvenirs. From what I can tell though, it is now Exeter again.

http://www.gendisasters.com/data1/pa/trains/exeter-trainwreck-may1899.htm