Railroad Wrecks"This book recounts the most serious railroad accidents worldwide from 1853 to the present time. Relevant specifics of these disasters have been researched and summary narratives written. The central purpose of this volume is to record the horrendous details surrounding railroad calamities and, more importantly, to investigate, analyze, and derive beneficial knowledge about wreck causes and deduce corrective courses of action, setting forth successful principles of accident prevention that might be useful and applicable in rail operations everywhere. The ultimate purpose therefore has been to determine universal railroad safety doctrines, the application of which will lessen the frequency and severity of future rail accidents and thereby reduce death tolls, passenger and employee injuries, and the attendant financial and material losses." "Covered herein in concise form are the accounts of 70 major rail disasters in the United States and 111 train catastrophes in various foreign countries. Included for quick reference are two tabulations showing pertinent particulars for all the railroad disasters treated in this volume. The reader, if he peruses this long list of wreck narratives, will acquire a unique understanding of the widespread incident of rail accidents and, perhaps, arrive at a personal judgment on how to best further the noble cause of accident prevention. Certainly, he will gain an eye-opening view of the dreadful scope of the long-term operational misfortunes that have plagued the mighty "Iron Horse."" "More than one hundred photographs taken at the scenes of the accidents illustrate this volume." "A substantial introduction elucidates the history of railroading in relation to death-dealing mishaps, operating safeguards, railroad personnel, the human factor, the grade crossing dilemma, rail unions and worker discipline, safety research efforts, code of railroad working rules, alcohol and drug problems, the Harriman safety awards, the legendary rail cabooses, and accident prevention guidelines." "The eleven-part appendix includes a historical/statistical review of safety on the United States railroads and reports on the horrendous Louisville & Nashville Railroad hazardous materials spillage at Crestview, Florida, on 8 April 1970. Also summarized are the rail accident prevention philosophies practiced on four foreign railway systems."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 13 |
LIST OF UNITED STATES RAILROAD DISASTERS | 31 |
NARRATIVES ON UNITED STATES RAIL WRECKS | 33 |
LIST OF FOREIGN RAILROAD DISASTERS | 141 |
NARRATIVES ON FOREIGN RAIL WRECKS | 143 |
APPENDIXES | 194 |
NOTES | 224 |
| 226 | |
| 228 | |
Common terms and phrases
acci accident prevention April August baggage car block signals bodies brakes bridge calamity carried caused City CN Rail commuter train conductor Coupler Courtesy crash curve death toll debris December dent derailed dispatched draft gear east employees engineer equipment excursion train express train fatalities February Federal Federal Railroad Administration feet fire fireman flagman freight train grade crossing Head-on collision hospitals hundred injured passengers inquest Interstate Commerce Commission investigation January Jersey July June killed located locomotive ment miles per hour nearby north and longitude October officials operations passenger train Pennsylvania Railroad percent perished persons plunged Pullman rail accidents rail disaster railroad disaster railroad wreck railway rear Rear-end collision relief train reported rescue rescuers resulting River road safety scene September serious sleeping cars smashed speed station stop tank cars tion tracks traffic train crew train wreck TRAINS COLLIDE transported traveling tunnel victims wooden workers wreckage York Central