Re: [CBQ] Doubleheader Derailment At Sparta, WY

["Michael Woodruff mwoodruff54@gmail.com [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>]

Louis:

The ICC report on this accident is online here:

http://specialcollection.dotlibrary.dot.gov/Home

Go to "Investigations of Railroad Accidents, 1911-1993" and click on the year, 1952.  This accident is the only entry for CB&Q from that year.

msw

largofl

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 1:51 PM, LZadnichek@aol.com [CBQ] <CBQ@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

[Attachment(s) from LZadnichek@aol.com included below]

December 27, 2016

 

Group - Again, I'll say, "You never know from one week to the next what will turn-up on EBay..."

 

Several weeks ago, I came across and purchased a collection for sale on EBay of 11 photographs taken September 4, 1952 of a Q doubleheader derailed at Sparta, WY, just outside Gillette. What lead me to purchase the collection what that, amazingly enough, I found views of my late father M.L. Zadnichek who was Casper (WY) Division Train Master at the time. I'm going to insert and attach three of the images:

 

 

 

First, CB&Q Class M-2-A No. 6108 is shown derailed at Sparta, WY. The following locomotive is unidentified and about all we can tell is that it's another 2-10-2, but equipped with an Elesco Feedwater Heater.

 

 

My father M.L. Zadnichek, Casper (WY) Division Train Master, is shown wearing a leather jacket and fedora at extreme right in the group of railroadmen alongside the second, unidentified 2-10-2. I have memories and family album snapshots of him wearing the same hat and jacket. I think the smashed tank car between the locomotive and tender was being used for water. Perhaps, a Group member can trace the car number to see if true. Note its draw bar is broken off.

 

 

In this similar view, you can see my father with the shattered cab of the second 2-10-2 in the background. A jack-knifed stock car has destroyed the cab and quite possibly killed the engineer and fireman, unless they had time to jump. From the white flags on 6108 and the time of the year, this may've been a stock extra. If any Lines Westerners have more information on this nasty derailment, I would enjoy learning the details.

 

I checked the Corbin Book for disposition data on 6108. Evidentially, on the eve of dieselization, 6108 was not considered worth repairing, so it was sold for scrap in December 1952. A clue to the identify of the other 2-10-2 is that sister 6160 was also sold for scrap on the same date. However, I do not know if 6160 was equipped with an Elesco Feed Water Heater and I do not have an image of it to check against. Can any Group member help me out on this question?  A nasty derailment, to be sure! Best Regards - Louis

 

Louis Zadnichek II

Fairhope, AL

 

 

 

  

 

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Posted by: Michael Woodruff <mwoodruff54@gmail.com>

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