by shlustig
Tomorrow 6/25 marks the 70th anniversary of the wreck of Train #431 "St. Louis Express" at Shiloh, Ohio.
The train was the dinnertime departure for St. Louis but did not include a diner in the consist of 1 head-end car, 1 RPO, 1 combine, 1 coach, and 2 sleepers.
At CUT the Conductor received a copy of a train order advising that a temporary block station was open at Shiloh and that all westward trains would run on Tk. #2 frm Boyd Tower (Greenwich) to Shiloh account M/W working on Tk. #1 between those points.
A P-motor took the train to Linndale at which point doubleheaded Pacifics took over. The engine crews received the train order at Linndale.
The train proceeded normally to Boyd at which point the Cond. and Engr. received copies of a train order authorizing movement on Tk. #2 to Shiloh. The train dispatcher failed to provide a copy of the order for the crew on the second locomotive.
While moving at track speed (70+mph) approaching Shiloh, #431 hit the hand-throw crossover. Both Pacifics and their tenders cleared Tk. #1 on the fly and buried themselves in the right-of-way ditch, killing both engine crews. While there were some injuries to passengers and RPO clerks, the only other ftalities were 2 M/W personnel and 2 trespassers.
Photographs of the wreck have appeared in several publications, especially those showing the 3 railroad wreckers (2 NYC and 1 C&O) cabling the locomotives out of the ditch.
Ironically, the M/W gang working eastward on #1 Track had only cleared from Shelby to Shiloh on midafternoon of 6/24. Both of the engine crews had made 2 or 3 trips during the period when the move against the current of traffic on Tk. #2 extended to Shelby. For whatever reason, it was reported that when the body of the lead engineer was recovered, the train order and clearance form received at Boyd was found in the center pocket of his bib overalls with the string still tied around them.
The train was the dinnertime departure for St. Louis but did not include a diner in the consist of 1 head-end car, 1 RPO, 1 combine, 1 coach, and 2 sleepers.
At CUT the Conductor received a copy of a train order advising that a temporary block station was open at Shiloh and that all westward trains would run on Tk. #2 frm Boyd Tower (Greenwich) to Shiloh account M/W working on Tk. #1 between those points.
A P-motor took the train to Linndale at which point doubleheaded Pacifics took over. The engine crews received the train order at Linndale.
The train proceeded normally to Boyd at which point the Cond. and Engr. received copies of a train order authorizing movement on Tk. #2 to Shiloh. The train dispatcher failed to provide a copy of the order for the crew on the second locomotive.
While moving at track speed (70+mph) approaching Shiloh, #431 hit the hand-throw crossover. Both Pacifics and their tenders cleared Tk. #1 on the fly and buried themselves in the right-of-way ditch, killing both engine crews. While there were some injuries to passengers and RPO clerks, the only other ftalities were 2 M/W personnel and 2 trespassers.
Photographs of the wreck have appeared in several publications, especially those showing the 3 railroad wreckers (2 NYC and 1 C&O) cabling the locomotives out of the ditch.
Ironically, the M/W gang working eastward on #1 Track had only cleared from Shelby to Shiloh on midafternoon of 6/24. Both of the engine crews had made 2 or 3 trips during the period when the move against the current of traffic on Tk. #2 extended to Shelby. For whatever reason, it was reported that when the body of the lead engineer was recovered, the train order and clearance form received at Boyd was found in the center pocket of his bib overalls with the string still tied around them.
