I don't own the book personly but I took my monthly trip
to the Clear Creek County Library in Georgetown Last week
and just happened to find "Train Wrecks" by Robert Reed.
Under the Chapter "Running Gear Failures"-"Hot Boxes And
Broken Parts" which should be intitled rollovers because
in the chapter the majority of the engines are on their
side , anyway the wreck that has the most personel contact
with my life and my railroad carrier is on page 137.
I didn't post the photo because the photos clarity
would be lost again since the photo printed for the book
is a "half -tone" anyway. But all you lookers out there
especially "Earl" take a look at a few of the people in the
photograph. Of course the wreck itself draws enough attention
to the enthusist but for some of us who knew the railroaders
and the area locals personaly it even means more.This is as
much a people photograph and the sorrow and death it caused.
Here is my story and how not only what was said to me but
what I learned from the photograph and it has stuck with me
for over 40 years in the mountain railroad business. In 1969
or "70" while riding has head brakeman at that time as a
volunteer of 13 years of age on the White Mountain Scenic
Railroad about 8 miles south of Mc Nary , Arizona heading
towards "Big Cienega Mountain" sometimes or later called
Apache Springs.Reed Hatch motioned over to me in the "stack
talk and noise of little "Mike" #100 as my dad was firing
almost yelling to me"Eric he said" What would you do if this
engine rolled"?
"in Reeds Old cowboy twang lingo"
I thought for a moment, "I would jump I said" "Reed replied
To hell you say" why you go to the high side of the cab"!
"That way ya wouldn't get crushed or your hide removed".
Maybe "Earl" you remember "Lou Calhoon" he to me was the
finest engineer I ever met. "he could start a train in any
condition any weight and never have the drivers slip!!
And the nicest guy you could ever fire for , quiet , kind
and always said to me "Lad" any way you can make steam for me
is fine and good". Lou was also featured in Arizona Highways
in the August 1990 issue in the article "Mc NAry the Twilight
Years with a photo of him standing next to his "Imortal 1951
Chevy Pick up". He was 92 years young in this photo.
But I'm going to tell the real story in the black & white
photo of the "roll over of engine 300 on the Apache Railway
of February 3, 1947 just about a mile east or due north of
Snowflake , Arizona. Every caption or text of this story
tells it wrong , non railroader or not.You see Lou Calhoon
was in this rollover in fact the only survivor of it.
The web site "Arizona train wrecks" gives a little more
truth to the story. Reed Hatchs wife "Edie" told dad mom
I what actually happened. It was not a broken
journal but very soft roadbed that gaveway under#300 and her
train. "Edie said that it had been snowing around north
eastern Arizona since mid december 1946 without let up.
At the end of January it quit and then began to rain
like never before. (So much for Global Warming) Lou takes up
the story " We had a wash out in this location and it was
repaired February 1st. I can rememberit was a "slow
order board for this location" "I can remember
without warning we began to roll" the roadbed began to sag"
"I always remembered what to do in this situation" Go
the high side of the cab , away from the rollover " you might
break some ribs ,a leg jumping or mabe get burned some but
sill be alive to tell about it".I also remember some "searing"
pain and daylight through the steam and unfortunately some
screams from my fireman and head brakeman.I woke up
in a hospital bed being told by "Reed that my two other crew
members were scalded to death and not killed By crushing of
the roll over. Lou Said it was a bad way to go. Lou Calhoon
spent 5 months in the hospital in bed and in the burn ward
burned over 30 percent of his body.
In this photo doing some studying of the people , of course
being near snowflake and taylor Reed Hatchs hometown as well
as Reed working for the "Apache"at that time was at the
"Wreck" site. Also gathered a large croud because all three
crew members we eather family or close reletives of the
crew of #300. Reed is in the photo closest to 300s smokebox
front. "His unmistakable close cropped hair cut he always
had till he passes on. He was a mear 36 years young.He has
his arm around "Lous wife". Lou was 49 when the wreck occured.
Edie Hatch in the sun glasses is just left of Lous wife.
And Reeds father is in the cowboy hat just left of that ,
holding onto to front handrail of the smoke box of #300.
And the only one looking at the camera I truly believe is a
"Hatch" boy , Ben,maybe 14 or 15 at the time. This was "Reeds"
oldest boy. The last time I saw ben Hatch he was 40 years old.
He is now 80. Lord how time has passed!!
For those who knew "Reed" he was a kind man with a Giant heart
he was like a grandpa to me. In later years when I became a
man I became even closer to him working along side of him
as a fireman at the then "Heber Creeper" in Utah with my old
"Gals WMSRR #36 and my favorite # 100. We didn't always agree
with everything in life but I still loved him like a dad.
In just a short experience about being on a locomotive with
Reed in his last years. It was on Ex SP #1744. Backing down
toward Charlston Utah. Reed was going way to fast down the
"section of 105 lb. rail. We we running two trains that day
and after we got stopped at Deer Creek Dam (Walsburg) and
waited for the first train to pass he looked at me with his
signature "closed right eye and said" Eric , don't you ever
do what I just did"!!
Just in passing Reed use to say he hated three things in life
not neceessarly in that order "Dogs , "I" and "" in which you
notice I cannot repeat. In the photo of the rolled over #300
again you can see the gentleman in the cowboy hat holding on
to the hand rails and loking at the mess. That was Reeds dad
who I understand he adored.I completely understand that for
I adored my father. I was told by a later ralroader for Reed,
Cline Page , before closing his railroad in 1976 in Mc Nary
his father died of a horrible disease "rabies".
I never saw Reed pet or be kind to a dog but yet he gave
us our second dog.Also Lou Calhoon when he retired worked
for Reed as engineer on his first revenue run June 24,1965
on the "white Mountain" and the last run over the former
Maverick Line to Apache Springs on September 4, 1973.
He also worked many double headers including imortal "last
train to Maverick September 14, 1967. He passed away at 95
in 1993. Burried the Reed Hatch Memorial cemetary in Taylor
Arizona.
Such memories here. I was amaised as I studied this photo
what I found out.
