This was a deadly wreck, a head on between a KCS freight, and a streamlined passenger train. The accident happend on the KCS line at Tipton Ford, Missori ( Neosho,Mo. area)
The death toll was in excess of fourty souls of the some eighty on board ;different accounts/different totals. The accident was shrouded in mystery as to events that caused it; the M&NA conductor was thought to have ignored the stop at a passing siding,Tipton Ford; because he had not received the train orderr to pass the KCS freight at Tipton Ford. The station agent fior Neosho Station later produced a signed copy of the receipt for the Train Order. The signature was porported to not be the M&NA conductor’s {Mr. S.A. Nicholas, a long time,senior conductor).
The KCS train was on home rails and had the right of way; the locomotive and the streamliner hit at approox 6PM onAug 5,1914… The impact pushed the passenger train back several hundred feet and it was destroyed when the fuel tanks burst and the train was incinerated.
Locally, there seems to be some confusion as to the nature of the M&NA train. recently, a report in The Joplin Globe seemed to be of the opinion it was a one car train on the M&NA. My feeling is that the M&NA train was an early streamlined train. I been told there was a daily streamliner that connected Joplin, Mo., Harrison, Ark and treminated at Helena, Ark. as well as the interim stations on the line.
Can anyone provide the info as to manufacturer of the M&NA streamliner? The train’s Name? One individual said that it originated in Kansas City and terminated in Helena, Ark. I don’t know. It seems to be a pretty interesting piece of history on what was then a fairly su
The M&NA operated via KCS trackage rights from Neosho to Joplin, terminating service there. The M&NA track from Wayne to Neosho opened only six years prior to the wreck.
This website is still in its early developing stages, and as yet they don’t have any pertinent information you seek. Perhaps the site owner might be able to offer further assistance. http://www.northarkansasline.org/
The report of the ICC’s investigation of this accident follows. The M&NA train was a gas electric dooclebug (probably a McKeen) running between Joplin, MO and Harrison, AR. “This accident was caused by” (M&NA) “train No. 209 failing to wait at Tipton Ford for” (KCS) "train first No. 56, as directed by order No. 84.
Mark
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION.
REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE DIVISION OF SAFETY COVERING HIS INVESTIGATION OF AN ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON THE KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN RAILWAY NEAR TIPTON FORD, MO., ON AUGUST 5, 1914.
SEPTEMBER 19, 1914.
To the COMMISSION:
On August 5, 1914, there was a head-end collision between a gasoline motor car and a passenger train on the Kansas City Southern Railway near Tipton Ford, Mo., resulting in the death of 38 passengers and 5 employees and the injury of 34 passengers and 4 empl
Several years back I came across a book by a man named Grace, on the Missour and North Arkansas RR. There was a chapter in that book that referenced the motor car set involved the the Wreck at Tipton Ford, Mo. The book also contained a photo that as I remember showed a streamlined trainset sort of in the pattern of the Gulf,Mobile and Northern, ‘Rebels’. It truly appeared modern for 1914, particularly on a regional railroad of that early 20th century.
This was recently mentioned in an article in the Joplin Globe, by Derek Stillman; a recently done mural in the United Methodist Church of Neosho, Mo. memoralizing the Wreck and its aftermath. Some eight people were on the M&NA train when it hit the KCS freight with an estimated combined speed of some 70 mph. The motor’s fuel was scattereed over the KCS engine and the M&NA train, whose consist was incinerated, along with the crew and some fourty one souls. The passengers were a large part of the Black community of Neosho, Mo. on their way back from the Celebration, at Joplin, of Emancipation Day. In that segregated time in our country it was remarkable that the community pulled together to rescue, and treat the passengers without regard to their skin color.
The M&NA was a regional line, whose original trackage was from the Frisco connection at Seligman, Mo to Eureka Springs, Ark. Later building west to the KCS connection at Neosho, Mo. From Eureka Springs it built through extremely hilly terraine to another vacation spot at Calico Rock and on to Harrison Ark, the central division point. Later it went on to the Mississippi River at Helena, ark and a connection, by ferryboat, to the Illinois Central’s river line at Friar’s Point, Ms,( on the old Y&MV RR ).
Part of the M&NA still exists at Eureka Springs. Some equipment and track, it may still be operated as a to
M&NA motor car No.103, which was involved in this wreck was not streamlined. In the ICC accident report there are links to three photos of this car, two after the wreck and one before, but unfortunately these can’t be opened from the version I copied and pasted in my prior reply. To view them search Google for ICC Accident Reports and open the first site that is listed, Online DigitalSpecial Collections Library. Scroll down and click on ICC Historial Railroad Investigation Reports, scroll down again and click on 1914 and finally scroll down and click on the first Kansas City Southern listing. With the accident report open you can click on the links to images and view the photos. I had previously thought No. 103 was a McKeen motor car but after looking at the photo again I think it was more likely a product of the J.G. Brill Co. of Philadelphia.
The M&NA was reorganized in 1936 and became the Missouri & Arkansas RR. Sometime in the 1930’s (I’m not sure whether it was before or after the reorganization) the road did acquire several streamlined motor cars. These I think were ACF “motorailers” and are the streamlined units you have in mind. To see a pic of one of these cars go to:
Mark: Appnrently, the afore mentioned book is the source for some misunderstanding. It shows the photo of the ACF manufactured motocar as the vehicle involved in the Tipton Ford accident. I think there might have been some confuson on the part of Mr. J.R. Fair, the author , The Book was : The Arkansas Line: A story of the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad.
THe motor car #103 was a single car vehicle, built by GE and sold at a $26,000.00 price tag to the M&NA at 74 feet and 74 tons it was capable of seating up to eight people. At any rate, a combined closure speed of 70 mph would have destroyed a light metal constructed vehicle. The KCS loco was apparently the lesser damaged even after pushing the wreck down track +630 feet.
If you have the book,“Interurbans Without Wires” by Edmond Keilty, It shows a GE manufactures list that indicates the sister car 102 was sold to the M&NA so,Im assuming that the 103 was a GE motorcar, and looking at the before shot and looking at the GE standard car they look identical…Most of the bodies were blt by Wason 70’ long with a seating cap.of 85…This book is very thorough…
I love these old doodlebugs and these kinds of stories…
At the risk of being rude, please allow me to correct some of the railroad’s location information. It appears that the Missouri & North Arkansas (also known as the Missouri & Arkansas and the Arkansas & Ozarks) of historical fame is being confused with the route of the present day Missouri & Northern Arkansas.
The Missouri & North Arkansas railroad ran from the interchange at Seligman, Missouri southeast into Arkansas. A branch line served the resort town of Eureka Springs. The line then traversed the Ozark Mountains through the towns of Berryville, Harrison (the HQ), Marshall, Heber Springs, Searcy, and then to West Helena.
When the accident occurred at Tipton Ford the motor car was using the KCS right of way for its western most terminus in Kensett, Missouri. Details of the accident are described in James R. Fair, Jr.'s excellent book The North Arkansas Line.
The Missouri & Northern Arkansas is a modern regional railroad which operates the Missouri
