I had a pleasant meeting with a customer today in which she told of living in Mt. Pulaski, Il during the late 50’s when there was a derailment or collision on the Illinois Central which had a massive explosion, caused by tank cars of anhydrous ammonia liquified.
I seem to recall reading a report based on that collision a few years ago.
Does anyone know anything about that accident? How about where one finds those reports on line?
ed
Ed,
Check out this link
http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_railroads
The accident occurred on June 1, 1958.
DPJ
BTW, the info on the IC group message about vinyl chloride being received from the Rock Island is incorrect (Vinyl Chloride would have been delivered to the Rock Island, bound for the B. F. Goodrich plant in Henry).
http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_railroads
“Car GATX 29633 was loaded with approximately 10,000 gallons of nitromethane on May 28, 1958, at the Commercial Solvents Corporation plant at Sterlington, La., on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and was delivered to the Alton and Southern Railroad at East St. Louis. The car was destined to Peoria, Ill., via the Alton and Southern and the Illinois Central Railroads. It was delivered in interchange by the Alton and Southern to the Illinois Central at East St. Louis on May 31, 1958. It was assembled in No. 68 during the morning of the day of the accident.”
DPJ
Thanks for the link.
That was a big bang. The lady who I talked to the other day said there was one person that was never found. She said he “vaporized.”
After 7 years they finally ruled him “deceased” so the widow could collect benefits.
ed
Years ago in Mt. Pulaski, my cousin who lived there told me, the firehouse caught fire. During the fire, the wooden floor gave way and the town’s fire truck fell through to the basement.