Re: 1911 wreck on the SVRy

Look out Jim! When you are wearing your other hat as Op. Mgr. you might have to write yourself up.

I probably don't have enough railroad experience to give an authoritative answer to Karl's question. My personal opinion is that it is unlikely a hard coupling would derail a loaded car that had some chocks behind the wheels. For one thing the springs on the coupler shank will absorb some of the shock, and the car probably has a little give in the cup and saucer on the truck with the chocks. I have seen smallish wood that was used as a chock cut in two by the flanges if the push on the cars was strong enough. I guess I will tell this on myself since Jim gave his story. Jerry Huck and I were moving cars around the yard pre season. There was still snow in patches. For some reason, a box car, a tank car and 2 flat cars were left in that order for the winter on the main in front of the water tower. They had chunks of fire wood under some wheels for chocks and all hand brakes set. There is enough grade in front of the water tower and the McEwen depot for cars to roll east. We coupled onto the box car with the 18 ton with the intention of moving the cars to the storage spur. The 18 ton was not equipped with train air. After coupling Jerry and I walked the cars removing the chocks and releasing hand brakes. He got in the cab and I gave him a back up signal to pull the cars west. Immediately we noticed that the box car had come uncoupled from the tank car. Then we noticed the tank car and flats start rolling east. In a car length or so each car drifted apart all rolling very slowly but at slightly different speeds. Over the winter, someone had obviously lifted all the cut levers and we never paid any attention. Initially without a brake club I hopped on the tank car and tried to stop it. No luck with that. Back on the ground we started throwing wood chucks that were around the wood rack under the first flat car. I was surprised that once it had a little momentum it cut the firewood neatly in two. Jerry finally threw something big enough that the flat car couldn't roll over and the other two car slowly rolled into the flat, all stopping. The moral is never take anything for granted, like assuming cars that were coupled months before remained so.