http://nyow.org/glory.html
Ronald J. Stanulevich did this excellent article (link above) on the tragic wreck near Chiloway that occured in August 1902 taking the life of Engineer Andy O'Neil.
He related several coincidences but another one has just come to mind.
The locomotives involved were the 144 & 143.
It is interesting that the Milepost for Hortons is 143.24 and Chiloway is 144.68
So we had Engine 143 Train 12 meeting Engine 144 Train 11 at MP 144
I wonder with all the 144's and 143's if O'Neil just got confused. Orders or timetable meet would not have had the milepost but as an engineer you would always be watching those magic markers as you made your run and associate milepost numbers with station names and relate to yourself as you proceed down the railroad what you are going to do at key mileposts. Indeed with my own experience as an engineer I could see getting tripped up in my mental thoughts on that one.
Who knows, O'Neil's last thoughts went with him to the grave but I found it a coincidence about the engine numbers and the milepost locations that I've not heard tell of before.
Just an interesting observation.
Ronald J. Stanulevich did this excellent article (link above) on the tragic wreck near Chiloway that occured in August 1902 taking the life of Engineer Andy O'Neil.
He related several coincidences but another one has just come to mind.
The locomotives involved were the 144 & 143.
It is interesting that the Milepost for Hortons is 143.24 and Chiloway is 144.68
So we had Engine 143 Train 12 meeting Engine 144 Train 11 at MP 144
I wonder with all the 144's and 143's if O'Neil just got confused. Orders or timetable meet would not have had the milepost but as an engineer you would always be watching those magic markers as you made your run and associate milepost numbers with station names and relate to yourself as you proceed down the railroad what you are going to do at key mileposts. Indeed with my own experience as an engineer I could see getting tripped up in my mental thoughts on that one.
Who knows, O'Neil's last thoughts went with him to the grave but I found it a coincidence about the engine numbers and the milepost locations that I've not heard tell of before.
Just an interesting observation.
