Re: Moving across the track from the switchstand

Throwing a switch when it should not have been seems to have occurred many a time. An interesting head-on at a siding was the incident at Tortugo, on the SP near Niland, California on September 20, 1938, in the early morning hours.

It seems that at the last moment the head-end brakeman threw the switch in error. The usual routine was for his train #44 to keep the main and have the superior #5 to take the siding. This night #44 entered the siding with #5 holding the main. Somehow the brakeman thought the switch was set wrong and he sent the approaching train into the siding and his train. The ICC report stated, "Under rule 104 (C), he should not have stood within 20 feet of the switch as No. 5 was approaching, and should not have unlocked the switch until that train had passed."

Casualties were 11 killed and 139 injured.

The last car of train #5 was an officer's car.

This was the first wreck that included both heavyweight and lightweight passenger cars. The ICC took exception to the construction methods of the lightweight cars and the mixing of car types in the train.

A typescript of the ICC report can be found here: TORTUGA, CALIFORNIA SEPTEMBER 20, 1938
There is a link to a PDF of the original report complete with photos, etc.

Brian Norden