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DecidedlyGrimThe Great Naperville Train Disaster |
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| safe_image for Two trains, one tragedy: Remembering the deadly wreck that shook Naperville 75 years ago |
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| Jim Arvites posted View of the Naperville Train Disaster that occurred on April 25, 1946 when the CB&Q's "Exposition Flyer" rammed into the rear of the "Advanced Flyer", which was making an unscheduled stop at Naperville, Illinois to check a running gear. Forty-five people were killed and 125 more injured in the accident. Lawrence Smith running the yellows at 85, comes around a curve.....ouch. This hastened the ICC's rule on speed limits in non-ATC territory. [Which it set at less than 80mph. That is why Amtrak trains generally go just 79mph.] |
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| Michael Riha commented on Jim's post There is a small memorial sculpture to the east of the station, with a list of the victims. |
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| Bill Becwar posted We have often been asked why trains in the U.S. are limited to 79 mph (i.e., less than 80) on anything but specially signaled, specially prepared track with cab signals and positive train control. On April 25, 1946, 80 years ago this Sunday, the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad’s high-speed passenger train, the Exposition Flyer, rammed into the Advance Flyer in Naperville, Illinois. Forty-five people died, and 125 people were injured in the collision. Local residents, like the employees of Kroehler Furniture Factory and students from North Central College, volunteered to help the injured, while emergency workers poured in from neighboring communities to assist in recovery efforts. According to an investigation, the westbound Advance Flyer was running two minutes ahead, having left Union Station at 12:35 p.m. That train consisted of EMD E7s #9920A and 9920B, with five baggage, mail and express cars, and five passenger cars. The following Exposition Flyer had EMD E5s - the stainless steel E's made only for the CB&Q. Locomotives #9910A and B were followed by nine passenger cars, fewer than average for that train. Twenty-eight miles west of Chicago, along the famous CB&Q three-track racetrack, the intercity trains usally ran to the center track, leaving the outside tracks for commuter and freight trains. Just after 1 p.m., the rear brakeman on the Advance Flyer signaled for a stop after seeing something large fly out from under the train. The engineer got the train stopped at the Loomis Street crossing, and the brakeman started back up the track to flag, as required by the rules. Unfortunately, the Exposition Flyer was too close, and traveling too fast through the yellow signal, slowing the 80 mph train only to 45 mph before striking the rear car of the stopped Advance. The front truck came off of the crashing locomotive and crashed down the aisle of the rearmost car of the stopped train, killing most of the passenger in that 68-seat coach. other cars were tipped over, or damaged, the worst being the lightweight diner, which bent into a U-shape, killing most of the passenger dining there. Many other cars on both trains derailed, causing other injuries. In total, 45 people died and about 125 were injured. Though manslaughter charges were recommended against the following engineer, he remained hospitalized and uncharged, unable to even assist in the four separate investigations. One thing that happened immediately was the end to the practice of mixing lightweight and heavyweight cars in a train, a major reason why the lightweight diner buckled. The departure headway between the two trains was lengthened from 2 to 15 minutes. Another casualty was the name "Exposition Flyer." The name was changed to California Zephyr thereafter, the name for the equivalent train on Amtrak to this day. In a final ruling in 1951, the Interstate Commerce Commission ruled that trains going more than 80 mph must have automatic cab signaling, automatic train stop or automatic train control. This is the disaster that stopped train speed in the U.S. to this very day. This brings up the question why modern Positive Train Control is not implemented to do all of those things to allow for higher speeds. A clear signal here on Metra today is limited to 70 mph. There is a memorial there now, dedicated in 2014, made by artist Paul Kuhn and created from 5,000 railroad spikes. |
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| safe_image for 23:59 video Erik Spoonmore: Great book on the wreck. The Tragedy at the Loomis Street Crossing https://a.co/d/4rjnAGr |
This is the type of accident that PTC should prevent.
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