February 11, 1938, Friday
Railroad Flanger is Demolished
It is reported that an auto driver, whose name could not be learned, narrowly escaped being struck by the runaway flanger number 3 of the RGS which started a wild run down the grade from Peak siding last Friday night. Reports are that the enginemen were doing some switching on top of the divide, and had uncoupled from the flanger, a car weighing about 100,000 pounds, and had set the air, but a leaky air hose caused the air to release the brakes, and it started down the mountain, starting at MP 113 and jumping the track at MP 119 and crashed down the canyon.
After it had been discovered by the train crew that it has started to take out, they boarded the engine and started in pursuit with flashlights, they scanned the right-of-way, and with full steam ahead, tried to overtake the runaway car, and found it had cleared the trestle at the curve near the new highway, and then dumped itself into the canyon without damage to the bridge. There were no lights on the flanger car, and it is reported that it is a total loss to the railroad company.