Train Wreck

[billrunnels]

My wife and I had dinner and a movie on Saturday night. I dropped her off at home and headed to work. I was working the graveyard shift at the B&O Alida Tower which was located in a remote area about ten miles from home. I got within three miles of the tower when an Indiana State Trooper waived me down at a road blockade. He wanted to know where I was headed.I told him who I was and where I was going. He said "are you aware there has been a train wreck at the Alida Station". I responded "no" and he lead me to the site. The crack B&O Capital State Limited passenger train from Chicago to Baltimore hit an open siding switch at about 75 MPH, the diesel stayed on the siding track and all other passenger and dining cars slid off on their side. Dinner was being served at the time. The miracle was no one was killed. I set down and spent the shortest 8 hour period of my life running both East and West bound trains on the West bound track, answering telegram requests inquiring about people on board, sending reports from B&O officials on the site to Baltimore and New York. One amusing thing did happen when accounting for the crew on the train one porter was missing. Another member of the crew said "I saw him running away through the corn field". It was a night to remember.

 

[MIflyer]

Now by "Open siding switch" do you mean that the switch was set to take the train from the main line to the siding rather than down the main line?

Look up Graniteville, SC sometime in the NTSB files. In 1999 they were assembling a train and at the end of their shift got it onto a siding next to a factory in Graniteville. They were hurrying to meet the maximum allowed crew day requirements and in the process did not change the switch from the siding back to the main line. At about 0100 a train came down the main line, went onto the siding and hit the cars parked there, one of which was loaded with liquid chlorine. The resultant cloud of gas killed a number of people.

I would have thought that by about 120 years ago they would have had all switches wired so that multiple control centers could see which switches were set in which direction.

 

[billrunnels]

Now by "Open siding switch" do you mean that the switch was set to take the train from the main line to the siding rather than down the main line?

Look up Graniteville, SC sometime in the NTSB files. In 1999 they were assembling a train and at the end of their shift got it onto a siding next to a factory in Graniteville. They were hurrying to meet the maximum allowed crew day requirements and in the process did not change the switch from the siding back to the main line. At about 0100 a train came down the main line, went onto the siding and hit the cars parked there, one of which was loaded with liquid chlorine. The resultant cloud of gas killed a number of people.

I would have thought that by about 120 years ago they would have had all switches wired so that multiple control centers could see which switches were set in which direction.

The manual pipe line broke when the operator lined up the main line resulting in the siding switch being open.
A work train running ahead of the passenger train was put in the siding and pulled to the far end so was not in the accident. Alida was and old tower and the switches had not been up dated. The Control Centers construction had just started when I left the B&O. The control towers I worked in 1945-1946 were removed a long time ago.

 

[airminded88]

Wow, indeed it was a miracle that no fatal casualties happened on that wreck.
It must have been gratifying reporting the good news that everyone aboard was safe.
Thank you for Sharing Bill.

Cheers

 

[billrunnels]

Wow, indeed it was a miracle that no fatal casualties happened on that wreck.
It must have been gratifying reporting the good news that everyone aboard was safe.
Thank you for Sharing Bill.

Cheers

My pleasure

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff Bill! Scary thought, amazing no one was killed.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

The manual pipe line broke when the operator lined up the main line resulting in the siding switch being open.

Muscle powered hydraulic linkage, as in automobile foot brake? WOW! And no position indicator? Hard to imagine from the context of today's ultra safe "nerf world"!
Cheers,
Wes

 

[Hoghead]

How long ago was that wreck?

 

[billrunnels]

Muscle powered hydraulic linkage, as in automobile foot brake? WOW! And no position indicator? Hard to imagine from the context of today's ultra safe "nerf world"!
Cheers,
Wes[/Q

How long ago was that wreck?

1946

 

[billrunnels]

Muscle powered hydraulic linkage, as in automobile foot brake? WOW! And no position indicator? Hard to imagine from the context of today's ultra safe "nerf world"!
Cheers,
Wes

Muscle power is correct. Had to put my feet on the levers each side of the switch lever I was pulling. I only weighed 145 lbs. Siding switches were really tough due to the distance. On snow nights had to have track foremen out to sweep switches.

 

[Hoghead]

Interesting.
I wasn't born yet. My dad was still in the navy but I am interested in old railroad stories. I currently work on the railroad. 24 years

 

[billrunnels]

Interesting.
I wasn't born yet. My dad was still in the navy but I am interested in old railroad stories. I currently work on the railroad. 24 years

congratulations! Enjoy your time on the railroad. I sure did.

 

[Hoghead]

I think you mentioned you were a control operator or tower operator.
I did on 3 occasions get to go up on 2 different ones. One is torn down, the other is still standing but replaced with CTC. I remember the long handle pistol grip rods the operator used to line switches and to clear the signals.

 

[billrunnels]

I think you mentioned you were a control operator or tower operator.
I did on 3 occasions get to go up on 2 different ones. One is torn down, the other is still standing but replaced with CTC. I remember the long handle pistol grip rods the operator used to line switches and to clear the signals.

The tower I worked had 67 rods controlling the crossing.

 

[Hoghead]

We still say " High Ball"
I was told there was a ball hoisted on a cable and pole and If the train didn't have to stop for train orders or what ever, the tower operator or clerk or whoever would raise the ball high on the pole and the train would get the highball

 

[Hoghead]

I'm getting off topic I guess. This site is for aircraft history and tech. I see you were a bombadier on a B17 303rd BG
Did you fly the Schwienfurt Black Thursday mission?

 

[billrunnels]

I'm getting off topic I guess. This site is for aircraft history and tech. I see you were a bombadier on a B17 303rd BG
Did you fly the Schwienfurt Black Thursday mission?

No

 

[billrunnels]

We still say " High Ball"
I was told there was a ball hoisted on a cable and pole and If the train didn't have to stop for train orders or what ever, the tower operator or clerk or whoever would raise the ball high on the pole and the train would get the highball

We used the home signal "green" the same way.