Woodbridge Railway Accident
In the Woodbridge rail accident, a fully occupied commuter train derailed on February 6, 1951 at a construction site in Woodbridge Township , New Jersey . 85 dead and around 500 injured were the result. This was the third worst train wreck in the United States .
Starting position
West of Woodbridge stop on the afternoon of the day of the accident , a construction site had been set up along the line , the North Jersey Coast Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad , which made it necessary to swivel the tracks . This had a narrow, S-shaped transition curve, as well as a temporary wooden truss bridge to cross a street. This bypass of the construction site could only be driven through at 25 mph (40 km / h). Typically 60 mph (96 km / h) was allowed here. The locomotive drivers had been informed of the expected construction site a week earlier.
On the afternoon of accident the day wrong on this route schedule standard of the steam locomotive hauled no. 2445 (2-3-1) Commuter Train no. 733 from the station Exchange Place in Jersey City to Bay Head , a fast train , the ten cars first class and a club car led. The train was also known as the " Broker " because it was used by many employees from Wall Street- based companies to get home. The train was 1100 passengers particularly strongly occupied since the parallel path of the Jersey Central Railroad of the accident, a strike was.
The driver of train 733 and his driver had been informed in writing of the speed limit before the train departed in New Jersey City.
the accident
When the train driver noticed that the train was still traveling a mile (1,600 m) from the construction site at undiminished speed, he wanted to pull the emergency brake , which he could not reach in time because of the crowded passengers on the train.
The train entered the construction site bypass around 5:43 p.m. at a speed of more than 80 km / h. The train still drove through the first curve of the S-shaped entry curve into the construction site bypass, in the opposite bend the locomotive overturned due to centrifugal force , shifted the rails and derailed. She lay on her side on the bank. The tender and seven passenger cars derailed, some overturned, and some fell down the approximately eight-meter-high embankment.
consequences
Since the accident occurred in the Woodbridge area, help was quickly on the spot and injured people were available at a nearby hospital. The number of dead and injured had remained relatively low because all the cars used were made of steel and none of the older ones were made of wood.
The following investigation by the Interstate Commerce Commission puts the blame for the accident on the engine driver who claimed to have driven into the bypass at the speed allowed for the construction site. The investigation report, however, came to the conclusion that the speed was considerably excessive and that this was the sole cause of the accident. The investigative commission recommended that construction sites be equipped with an automatic speed control, which, if necessary , should trigger the emergency braking of a train that is too fast.
A large number of claims for damages have been made against the Pennsylvania Railroad, all of which have been settled out of court.
See also
literature
- Chandra M. Hayslett: 1951 train wreck recalled in tears . In: Home News Tribune v. February 5, 2001.
Web links
- NN: The Woodbridge Train Wreck. The Story And Pictures Of The Third Worst Train Disaster In American History. : This representation of the accident contradicts the accident investigation report, however a number of photos of the accident are shown here.
- Photo of the scene of the accident the day after the accident
- Investigation report of the Interstate Commerce Commission
Individual evidence
- ↑ Investigation report ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 40 ° 33 ′ 28 " N , 74 ° 16 ′ 40.3" W.