Michigan City railroad accident
The Michigan City railroad accident was a rear-end collision between the two train sections of the Empire Builder on August 9, 1945 in Michigan City , North Dakota , USA . 34 people died.
Starting position
The Empire Builder , train no. 1 of the Great Northern Railway , was driven on that day due to heavy occupancy in two parts, which operated under the designations "First 1" and "Second 1". Both trains were from steam locomotives of the series GN S-2 drawn (2-4-2). The trains left the station St. Paul Union Depot in Saint Paul , Minnesota , at a distance of 20 minutes. In the front train, 237 passengers traveled in 11 cars , mostly sleeping cars . The second train also carried 11 cars, but mostly seated cars; therefore there were between 600 and 700 travelers on board. Both trains were mostly occupied by members of the military or families of soldiers.
As far as Fargo , the route was secured with a route block , then driven with "train protection in time intervals". The dispatcher had to make sure that a following train left earlier than 20 minutes after the last train had left the station, in this section. However, there were only four staffed stations on the section in question over a distance of 300 km. When the two trains passed the last occupied station in front of the accident site, they were 31 minutes apart.
the accident
Shortly after Niagara , a hot runner was discovered on the train in front and it had to stop. A temporary cooling system was installed with a water hose, which was checked again in the Petersburg train station . All of this cost time while the rear train caught up. In Michigan City, the front train had to stop again because the water hose was blocked. The train was there on a flat curve. The conductor and another employee should now have secured the train to the rear, for example with blasting caps , which they missed.
While the engine driver and the on-board mechanic examined the chassis with the hot runner, the conductor heard the second train approaching. He called to the stoker to drive off immediately. Another employee lit another blasting capsule and ran towards the second train. But that wasn't enough to stop him before the impact. At about 70 km / h at 19:22 it drove into the end of the front train, with the front train being pushed forward about 50 meters. The last car of the first train was a pulpit car with sleeping compartments, which was completely crushed by the locomotive of the approaching train.
consequences
34 people died and 309 were also injured. Of the 35 travelers who were in the pulpit, only two survived, one of them because he had seen the approaching train and jumped out of a window. Lloyd Burdick , a former American American football player , was prominent victims of the railway accident .
useful information
The locomotive that pulled the train in front, No. 2584, has been preserved in a museum. It's in the train station in Havre , Montana .
The accident was the worst in the history of the Great Northern Railway.
See also
literature
Web links
- Stu Beitler: Michigan, ND Rear End Railroad Collision, Aug 1945 . From: GenDisasters.com (accessed December 21, 2016).
- Michigan 1945 Train Wreck . On: Homepage of the City of Michigan, North Dakota (accessed December 21, 2016).
- GN S-2 Class . On: Great Northern Empire (accessed December 21, 2016).
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 48 ° 1 '24 " N , 98 ° 7' 40" W.