The first time I casually mentioned to my parents that I was going to an NMRA meet with a friend of mine, probably around 1965 or so, my Dad reacted with great concern and exacted many promises to be careful – way more than the usual lectures I got when going somewhere.
It took a long time for me to realize that the cause of his concern was his association of the NMRA with reckless behavior__*__ around trains, related to the famous 1950 National Convention tragedy in Milwaukee, involving an NMRA excursion train on an interurban line (Speedrail, the last remnant of Milwaukee’s once extensive electric railroad, interurban, and streetcar transportation system) that collided with another interurban train, in spite of a signal system and extra flagmen. To this day there is much controversy about blame for the accident.
10 people were killed, including an associate editor of Model Railroader, Bill Wight. 46 others were injured, some of them very seriously. Among the killed and injured were some of the most well known model railroaders of that era, such as Emil “Pop” Beck of Detroit. The celebratory aspects of the NMRA National Convention were canceled and the banquet became what was in essence a prayer session.
A few years ago local NMRA Wisconsin South Eastern ("WISE) Division Superintendent Joe Russ wrote up the entire story of the NMRA tragedy and it is located here: http://my.execpc.com/~jruss/NMRAspeedrail.html
I think you will find it to be interesting and sobering reading, and a significant if little known episode in the history of the hobbies of model railroading and railfanning.
Dave Nelson
Amended post - the Speedrail incident was not an incident of bad behavior by railfans – although it is said the fans were crowding around the motorman who was also the President of Speedrail, and may have distracted him as the
Dave … Thanks for sharing this sad story. Model railroaders and railfans should be careful. The prototype railorads are dangerous.
Here is onne example of dangers of being too close to moving trains. Recently, I was at a croosing with the gate down. I was in the vehicle watching a freight train. One of its rail cars was a flat car with steel straps holding the cargo. One of the straps was broken, and the broken end was whipping back and forth. If a person was standing within five feet of the train, the strap could have easily cut the person in two pices.
Yes, a very sad and tragic event to remember, but thanks for reminding us. Thank goodness for Frank Ziedler and Al Kalmbach stepping in to help sort out things.
I met Frank once when he gave a talk at the Y at the big U down the road. Great guy and was happy to autograph my NMRA membership card for whatever year that was (sometime in the late 1990s IIRC, he was still quite an active fellow even late in life.) He was a bit surprised when someone remembered that part of his life, though, as the evening had something to do with his time as the last Socialist mayor of Milwaukee (I think his last year in office was 1960.)
This is still happening; a couple of months ago when the UP Big Boy was being moved. One video showed a guy filming the BB approaching on the center track. He was standing next to the rails of the outer track and was so far into his camera he did not see an apporaching train on that track. Fortunately, someone grabbed him and pulled him out of harms way just in time.
I’d never heard of this incident in all my years of model railroading, 40 or so. Thank you for posting it, as sad as it is. It doesn’t sound like the accident was due to any railfans acting irresponsibly, but serves as a reminder to be responsible just the same. Dan
Interesting but way way before my time and wrong corner of the country. Seams the NMRA dodged a big legal bullet by having participants buy direct from the RR. If they hadn’t the NMRA today might be very different.
Guys,Any time you’re out railfaning always but,always remember safety first,last and always.
Do remember a zoom lens will keep you away from harms way and always view a train in a 3/4 view watching for signs of danger like lose banding,projecting loads and ballast dust-ballast dust is one sign a wheel is on the ground or there’s a piece of dragging equipment.Always have a escape route away from the tracks.
Guys, I’ve seen this hundreds if not thousands of times over the years railfans standing in the red zone of a passing train…There’s no need.Stay back at least 70’.
The late John Page, editor of MR in the 1950s, wrote about this incident in his “Looking Back” column in the 1980s.
According to the column, the NMRA “dodged a bullet.” The fans bought the tickets directly from Speedrail. If NMRA had sold the tickets for the trip, the NMRA would have been liable for the accident together with Speedrail.