came across this article… check it out… bet this was better than watching a Max X episode http://www.lsjunction.com/facts/crush.htm [:D] off to the trainroom for the weekend!..see ya’ll again Monday!..chuck
I heard about those events in one of the videos I have on train crashes. In those days staged train crashes drew more people than a county fair. I wonder what Amtrak has parked. Maybe they could raise revenue by crashing their junk and sell the TV rights at Super Bowel prices.
[wow]
[:-^]
There were a few “staged” crashes over here in years gone by - most spectacular would have to be the demonstration of how solid the nuclear fuel flasks transported by rail are. They placed an empty flask on a test track and crashed a train of a large diesel loco plus a few old passenger cars into it by remote control - the train was a complete wreck, the flask was barely scratched!
I particpated in a drill for a simulated terrorist attack on a train once, blew up some surplus US governement boxcars and generally made a mess of the surrounding area. Those test dummies we loaded aboard were being found dismembered for weeks afterwards.
They sure know how to put on a good show back then. Now, it would take a small army of clerks several days having onlookers sign waivers, and even then no one would be permitted to get closer than 600 yds, or so. Later, some would sue for hearing loss because we had forgotten to provide ear plugs.
Here are some photos from www.sacramentohistory.org of a staged railroad collision at the California State Fair in Sacramento–a lot of classic old Central Pacific woodburners met their doom in this fashion!
Back in the 1930’s, they used to crash steam engines during the Minnesota State Fair as part of grandstand attractions. That had to be interesting to watch!
Danger Lights was a movie from the 1930s featuring MILW Rd steam. For a minute or so there’s a scene of two steamers in a “pushing” match trying to pu***he other back. No collision, but alot of whistling and bells and spinning drivers.
Take care,
Russell
A good way for amtrak to tidy up the Beech Grove junkyard[:p]