Karl, thanks for the details...I always enjoy hearing what you've got to say...
Cheers!
Jan
>
> From: "qrailroadman" <qrailroadman@yahoo.com>
> Date: 2005/01/19 Wed AM 11:43:41 EST
> To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [CBQ] Montgomery.
>
>
>
> The ICC report details the technical events leading up to the
> wreck. The personal details of the incident exist only in the minds
> of those close to the wreck.
>
> I was notified of the incident by the wife of a Q Engineer with whom
> we were good friends. Natural curiosity caused me to drive to
> Montgomery and "see" what happened. What I SAW was far beyond what
> one would expect to "see" at a derailment. The devastation of the
> locomotives was so complete that three of us, two other Q Engineers
> and myself, were, at first, unable to identify what pieces had been
> the lead unit of the Q train.
>
> When I arrived at Montgomery the town was FULL of cars and people.
> I parked near the north end of the Lyon Metal parking lot. On the
> walk to the wreck site I met the two Engineer's mentioned earlier.
> We chatted about the events of the day and wondered if anyone was
> hurt. Bob, one of the two, was in the C&I pool and was 2 or 3 times
> out. Mike, the other Engineer, had marked off to take his wife to
> the Doctor. I had tied up early that afternoon and was in no danger
> of being called. Bob, Mike and I walked toward Anchor Brush Co. to
> get a view of the equipment west of the point of impact.
>
> As we got close to Anchor Brush a Switchman, Jimmy, was comming out
> of the restricted area that had been created by the police. Jimmy
> was on the Lyon Job and his engine and crew were at the wallpaper
> plant (Western Electric). They were blocked by the RI train on the
> branch and couldn't get out. As Jimmy approached, Bob asked
> him "how'd the crew make out"? "They didn't" was the reply. The
> three of us couldn't understand how this could be as the "lead" Q E7
> didn't look all that bad. Its windshield was smashed in but not to
> the degree one would expect in a fatal wreck. We mentioned this to
> Jimmy who told us that the E7 was NOT the lead unit. The lead unit
> was on the north side of the main and was UNDER a Rock Island
> engine.
>
> About this time Mike asked Jimmy who the crews were. George
> Donaldson was 3's Engineer and George Lincoln was his Fireman. When
> the name of the Q Pilot (on the RI engine) was mentioned Mike almost
> passed out. When Mike marked off that morning Engineer R L Parker
> became first-out and, later, took the call to work the Pilot job on
> the RI detour. Of the four killed in the collision three were Q men
> and the other was the RI Engineer.
>
> As photos show, the cab of the lead RI engine was ripped away from
> the rest of the carbody and lay several feet west and north of the
> remains of the locomotive. With such enormous devastation it's easy
> to understand how the men in that cab could be killed. What is not
> as easily understood is how a Road Foreman of Engines could have
> been standing in the middle of that same cab at the time of impact
> and survive. A long time after the wreck "Mac" told me he was
> leaning against the electrical cabinet watching 3's headlight
> approach. All of a sudden the headlight "went crazy" and the next
> thing he knew he was on the ground covered with blankets. One never
> knows.
>
> No. three was reported to be going 56 MPH when she went through the
> switch and headed down the branch toward the RI train. Appearantly,
> 3's engines made it through the switch without tipping over and hit
> the lead RI engine standing up. The lead truck of 3's lead unit
> ended up on top of the RI engine that lost its cab.
>
> As all this was happening a westward RI detour train was standing on
> main 1 behind a red signal waiting for things to clear so he could
> start down the branch. That didn't happen.
>
> Karl
>
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
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