Re: [CBQ] E-5 wreck

["Louis Zadnichek via Groups.Io" <LZadnichek=aol.com@groups.io>]

October 27, 2018

MSW - You're correct, it's the 1960 head-on collision at Nodaway, MO.  Brief details off the Internet:

- - - -

In December 1959, CTC was brought into service between St. Joseph and Napier, MO, superseding the double track that had existed between those points about 37 miles apart. This was part of the Ottumwa Division of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. The control operator was located in St. Joseph, and worked under the supervision of the dispatcher.

Just after midnight on the 22nd of August, 1960, regular freight train No. 70 was rapidly moving southward with only 31 cars and a way car, passing Napier at 1.30 am. Passenger train No. 23 had just left St. Joseph with 14 cars, including 7 sleepers, a flat car and a way car. The 2.1-mile siding at Nodaway, 16.6 miles north of St. Joseph, looked appropriate as a meeting place for the two trains. By close cooperation between the dispatcher and the control operator, they managed to get both trains on the same siding, headed up, where they bumped at 1.59 am, in clear weather. It was probably best that this embarrassment happened at night, when nobody could see. There were 12 injuries, 2 of them passengers.

The dispatcher had called the control operator at 1.30 am and directed that No. 70 should be put on the siding. He changed his mind, and phoned again at 1.40 directing that No. 23 be put on the siding instead, the control operator telling him that he had not yet lined the route for No. 70, as he wanted to do that when No. 70 was close to the end of the siding. Both men thought that No. 70 was proceeding on the main. The control operator heard the flagman of No. 70 report clear of the main track, which should have opened his eyes.

The engineman of No. 70 dimmed his headlight when he was told that the train had cleared, and proceeded toward the south end of the siding at what he said was 20 mph. There was no proof after the accident, since the speed recorder had no tape in it. No. 23 acted about the same way, dimming its headlight and crawling along, hoping that it would get a clear signal at the north end of the siding after No. 70 had passed. Each train probably saw the other, but did not appreciate that they had been put on the same track until it became obvious.

There was no track circuit on the siding, which was usual. The crewmen seemed to believe that if there were already a train on the siding, they would get a red aspect, not a red-over-yellow, but the belief was erroneous. If the control operator intended to put two trains on a siding, he had to inform them by telephone at the ends of the siding. Of course, nobody intended to have two trains on the siding here, so there were no such conversations.

When the CTC board was inspected after the accident, the control operator said it was just the way it was at the time of the accident. The switch lever was set for the main at the north end of the siding. The control operator swore that he had never lined the switch for the siding, but of course he had, and was trying to see if a brazen lie would work. One also wonders where the speed recorder tape went. The report does not say anything about a seal that I think would have to be broken.

The siding had to be used at reduced speed, which on the Burlington seems to have been the same as Restricted speed, except that you didn't have to worry about switches not properly lined. The turnouts could be negotiated at 30 mph, but this would be a little fast for reduced speed. The engineman of No. 70 was probably going more than 20 mph, but this was no doubt normal practice. This provision was insufficient for two opposing trains not expecting to be on the same track, however.

- - - -

My dad M.L. Zadnichek was the Ottumwa Divison Superintendent at the time and was on-site for the clean-up. From my dad's files, I have a set of official CB&Q 8x10 glossy photographs of the wreck. The images currently listed on EBay are only a few of the ones I have. I've also got an ICC Accident Report covering the collision.

As I recall, the wrecked E-5 was sent to West Burlington for mechanical evaluation and subsequently retired. It was stripped for parts before being scrapped. Best Regards - Louis

Louis Zadnichek II

Fairhope, AL 

In a message dated 10/27/2018 5:59:31 PM Central Standard Time, mwoodruff54@gmail.com writes:

Probably the 1960 incident at Nodaway, MO:

https://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/railway/trainord.htm#Noda

msw

largofl

On Sat, Oct 27, 2018 at 6:33 PM Rupert Gamlen <gamlenz@hotmail.com> wrote:

There is a series of undated photos on eBay of a collision involving F-3 #125A and an E-5, possibly near St Joseph.

In photo #5, at the extreme left of the photo, a light-coloured “panel” labelled “CB&Q 994” which covers part of the side of the E-5 – the relevant part of the photo is attached.

Any guesses what it is? Anyone know anything about the wreck?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Original-Official-Burlington-Route-Railroad-Train-Wreck-Photo-8x10-5/382606729856?hash=item5915236280:g:uBMAAOSwRhFb0lCa

Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ

_._,_._,_

---

Groups.io Links:

You receive all messages sent to this group.

View/Reply Online (#56097) | Reply To Group | Mute This Topic | New Topic

Your Subscription | Contact Group Owner | Unsubscribe [archives@nauer.org]

_._,_._,_