August 24, 2016
Group - One of the more unusual group of Q wreck images I've seen is the
inserted/attached view of a "rock climbing Class R" locomotive. Class R-4
No. 1924 and Class O-4 No. 5501 ran into a rock slide at Sheep Canyon, WY,
sometime in 1945 with the following result:
Evidently, No. 1924's engineer saw the rock slide ahead and put the train
into emergency, but not soon enough to keep the momentum from pushing the 2-6-2
up and nearly over the pile of boulders. The trailing 5501 looks undamaged.
However, the emergency braking caused the freight train to derail further back
dumping a number of tank cars into the Bighorn River:
I think the second image was taken from the rear of the ill fated
freight train. If so, then a converted box car was being used for a way car. Or,
there was a converted MOW box car near the rear. Note the derailed tank cars in
the Bighorn River. Several officials in white shirts are surveying the wreckage.
Of interest, there is a portable telephone box that has been wired into the
pole line for communication.
No. 1924 was badly damaged on its rock climbing adventure. The Corbin Book
reports that it was retired in May 1946, most likely too damaged to be worth
repairing. However, No. 5501 enjoyed years more of service and wasn't
retired until May 1960. Today, if such a train wreck occurred with tank cars
being dumped into the water, there would be national TV coverage with
environmentalists up-in-arms. Best Regards - Louis
Louis Zadnichek II
Fairhope, AL
