Producer: Greg Scholl
Locations: USA
Timeframe: 1930s – 1960s
Length: 48 minutes
Sources: Greg Scholl collection
An accurate title. Various mishaps on several railroads spanning different decades. The majority in the 1950s and 1960s.
A single DVD-R. Main Chapter Menu. No train sounds. Musical background. Onscreen subtitles. Show is narrated by Christopher Kovacs.. A large Preview section.
Film quality varies by source. Most of it is in the very good range. Mostly, these are in color. Since none of these had any original sound. There is no dubbed railroad audio. The musical background works fine.
Films include: New Haven, C&O, N&W. Pennsylvania Railroad, Boston and Albany (New York Central). Also, Rio Grande (narrow gauge) and Union Pacific.
To some Highlights…
The first group is New Haven. Filmed by A.J.Crockett.
A 1965 derailment in Canton Jct. Former steam engine tenders were used to supply coal for the cranes. Filmed from an overpass by A.J. Crockett.
Needham Branch Derailment. Crockett footage circa 1966 on New Haven, as well. New Haven RDC cars. A turnout was illegally thrown by kids.
Boston and Albany mainline. Two New York Central steam cranes at a derailment. Boxcars that were hauling grain. Note the snap track section hanging from the crane. A. J. Crockett.
Attleboro, Massachusetts on the New Haven. Passenger cars need two Steam Cranes. A.J. Crockett.
Denver & Rio Grande Western. Engines 497 and 498. The two locomotives are temporarily stored at Chama, following a wreck. Warren Scholl filmed in 1958.
Union Pacific, the Challenger wreck. This train was on a detour. Hit a washout near Dodd, Colorado, in April 1955. All coach Chicago to Los Angeles. LaPlatte River overflowed here. Note the steam locomotive coal tender. Those supplied the cranes.
Two Steam Cranes at 250 tons each. The Cheyenne crane and the other from North Platte. The E8A/B/B lash-up also wrecked at the washout.
Pennsylvania Railroad with a mainline derailment at Convoy, Ohio. This train hit a lowboy that was hung up on a road crossing. Three Electromotive E units and some of the consist were off the Rails, here in 1961.
Chesapeake and Ohio. A pair of Steam Cranes. This is in Kentucky, along the Ohio River. Don Jamison film.
At Sardinia, Ohio. April, 1958. A large wreck and pileup on Norfolk and Western. Two diesel powered freights had a collision. Train 99 ran stops. Number 94 was going into a siding. Boom! Five GP9 locomotives were wrecked.
Two days later. Powhatan Arrow eases by the remaining wreckage. The 611 passes through slowly. Warren Scholl and Don Jamison footage both had filmed here.
The 40′ boxcar was very common up through the 1960s. Steel or Wooden, they carried merchandise and even loose grain. This Great Northern example appears to be repairable.
Train Wrecks and Clean-ups.
An assortment of vintage railroad mishaps. Spanning approximately 3 decades. Steam and Diesel era equipment are seen.
While not the happiest of subjects. It is an interesting part of railroad history.
Rating: 5 Stars
American Train Video Reviews 