Re: Rio Grande Southern 03 snow plow and flanger

Jerry474 Wrote:
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> 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.


Overtaking a runaway !! I'd love to shake the hand of an Enginedriver who pulled off that move.