While going through microfilm on Satruday searching for a non-railroad subject, I came across the following. Note: Riverview is on the ex-NYC, between Detroit and Toledo. A few questions follow...
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(Wyandotte, MI) News-Herald, Wednesday, 24 March 1965, front page
Hits Open Switch, No One Injured
‘Saturday Special’ Derailed
The Baltimore and Ohio passenger “train 9082” [C&O RDC-3 9082] was derailed Saturday afternoon [20 March 1965] when it struck a partially opened switch 2,000 feet north of the Sibley Road crossing in Riverview. No one was injured.
The train, called the ‘Saturday Special,” was the subject of a News-Herald feature story just a month ago. The B&O has been running the special from Deshler, O., to Detroit and back every Saturday for the past seven months to keep its franchise.
The mishap occurred around 4:30 p.m. Saturday as the one-unit train was travelling 15 mph on the New York Central tracks, according to Conductor Al Tesluk. Engineer H. M. Houghton and a train official were the only persons on the train besides Tesluk. Vandals are suspected.
“We had no warning anything was wrong,” Tesluk stated. “For a moment, we thought we were going over,” he added. The diesel-driven car hit the switch with the front wheels staying on the main tracks and the rear wheels switching onto a side spur.
Mrs. Ellen Beaudry, 18331 Riverview [Street], who lives directly east of the derailment, told a News-Herald reporter she “heard a loud noise and saw a large cloud of smoke come from the train. Some kids were running from the switch.” She could not identify them and did not see where they went.
New York Central railroad officials, whose tracks are used by the B&O train, appeared on the scene immediately to investigate. Spectators were ordered off the multi-track area.
An open padlock was left dangling from the half-open switch. NYC officials state vandals left the switch in a “cocked” position. The vandals also apparently attempted to break into a nearby telephone booth where the glass window was shattered and pry marks were discovered around the door’s padlock.
The train traveled approximately 150 to 200 feet before coming to a stop. Spikes and other parts of the track were torn up by the skidding train. Parts of the train’s undercarriage were extensively damaged. No estimate of total damages has been made, railway officials state.
It was 7 p.m. before NYC officials got the damaged train back on the tracks wit the help of a truck-mounted, hydraulic lift. A NYC freight-diesel pushed it into the Fort Street Station in Detroit.
The mishap fortunately happened just after a heavily-laden freight rain lumbered through Riverview; two others also were scheduled behind the “Saturday Special.”
NYC officials stated vandals had been causing them headaches in the past. “They don’t realize the dangerous situation they’re dealing with. This accident could have killed someone,” one official stated.
The B&O began this special run after moving all of its trains out of the Michigan Central terminal in Detroit to the Fort Street Station.
The “Saturday Special” is towed from Pittsburgh by one of the B&O’s westbound passenger trains, then left in Deshler for its Detroit journey, which takes an hour and 40 minutes one way.
The train still bears the Chesapeake & Ohio label. The C&O merged with the B&O several years ago.
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I assume "Saturday Special" was not an official RR name. This was just a nameless passenger train, yes?
How long did this train operate? What was its schedule?
I assume this train was returning to Deshler, thus southbound, at the time of the derailment--correct?
Does anyone know the details of this trackage rights agreement that required B&O to continue to run this train, albeit but once per week?
Jeff
###
(Wyandotte, MI) News-Herald, Wednesday, 24 March 1965, front page
Hits Open Switch, No One Injured
‘Saturday Special’ Derailed
The Baltimore and Ohio passenger “train 9082” [C&O RDC-3 9082] was derailed Saturday afternoon [20 March 1965] when it struck a partially opened switch 2,000 feet north of the Sibley Road crossing in Riverview. No one was injured.
The train, called the ‘Saturday Special,” was the subject of a News-Herald feature story just a month ago. The B&O has been running the special from Deshler, O., to Detroit and back every Saturday for the past seven months to keep its franchise.
The mishap occurred around 4:30 p.m. Saturday as the one-unit train was travelling 15 mph on the New York Central tracks, according to Conductor Al Tesluk. Engineer H. M. Houghton and a train official were the only persons on the train besides Tesluk. Vandals are suspected.
“We had no warning anything was wrong,” Tesluk stated. “For a moment, we thought we were going over,” he added. The diesel-driven car hit the switch with the front wheels staying on the main tracks and the rear wheels switching onto a side spur.
Mrs. Ellen Beaudry, 18331 Riverview [Street], who lives directly east of the derailment, told a News-Herald reporter she “heard a loud noise and saw a large cloud of smoke come from the train. Some kids were running from the switch.” She could not identify them and did not see where they went.
New York Central railroad officials, whose tracks are used by the B&O train, appeared on the scene immediately to investigate. Spectators were ordered off the multi-track area.
An open padlock was left dangling from the half-open switch. NYC officials state vandals left the switch in a “cocked” position. The vandals also apparently attempted to break into a nearby telephone booth where the glass window was shattered and pry marks were discovered around the door’s padlock.
The train traveled approximately 150 to 200 feet before coming to a stop. Spikes and other parts of the track were torn up by the skidding train. Parts of the train’s undercarriage were extensively damaged. No estimate of total damages has been made, railway officials state.
It was 7 p.m. before NYC officials got the damaged train back on the tracks wit the help of a truck-mounted, hydraulic lift. A NYC freight-diesel pushed it into the Fort Street Station in Detroit.
The mishap fortunately happened just after a heavily-laden freight rain lumbered through Riverview; two others also were scheduled behind the “Saturday Special.”
NYC officials stated vandals had been causing them headaches in the past. “They don’t realize the dangerous situation they’re dealing with. This accident could have killed someone,” one official stated.
The B&O began this special run after moving all of its trains out of the Michigan Central terminal in Detroit to the Fort Street Station.
The “Saturday Special” is towed from Pittsburgh by one of the B&O’s westbound passenger trains, then left in Deshler for its Detroit journey, which takes an hour and 40 minutes one way.
The train still bears the Chesapeake & Ohio label. The C&O merged with the B&O several years ago.
###
I assume "Saturday Special" was not an official RR name. This was just a nameless passenger train, yes?
How long did this train operate? What was its schedule?
I assume this train was returning to Deshler, thus southbound, at the time of the derailment--correct?
Does anyone know the details of this trackage rights agreement that required B&O to continue to run this train, albeit but once per week?
Jeff
