103 years ago today, March 1, 1910, an avalanche came crashing down on two Great Northern passenger trains trapped at Wellington, Washington, causing 96 deaths.
It remains one of the worst rail disasters in history.
That’s what I wrote my undergraduate history thesis on! If enough people show interest, I may be convinced to upload a copy… 
Craig Townsend said:
That’s what I wrote my undergraduate history thesis on! If enough people show interest, I may be convinced to upload a copy…
I’d like to read it.
I’d like to read it too.
I’d like to see it too. And Steve, thanks for the link… Being a coddled Eastern boy, it’s the first I heard about it… Postwar B&O Pittsburgh sub MoW stories, OTOH Those I heard lots of
Add me to the list.
Like Mik I wasn’t familar with that one. The big PRR passenger train wreck on Bennigton Curve in the 30’s (I think) gets a lot of mention out this way.
Okay fine… I’ll upload it as a PDF. Now this was my undergraduate work so it reads really rough to me now. 
I promise my MA work is much, much better 
Hopefully in a month or so it will be finished
I wrote this right before Martin Burwash published his book “Vis Major” Burwash as a railfan, and non-academic historian did a wonderful job coming up with his book, and perspective of the avalanche.
http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/ctown2/_forumfiles/TownsendSeniorThesis.pdf
Craig Townsend said:
Okay fine… I’ll upload it as a PDF. Now this was my undergraduate work so it reads really rough to me now.
I promise my MA work is much, much better
I wrote this right before Martin Burwash published his book “Vis Major” Burwash as a railfan, and non-academic historian did a wonderful job coming up with his book, and perspective of the avalanche.
http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/ctown2/_forumfiles/TownsendSeniorThesis.pdf
Craig,
Thanks.
The wreck Jon mentioned at Bennington Curve was the wreck of PRR’s Red Arrow passenger train. You can find the ICC investigation report online, According to what I was told by a fellow engineer: when the wreck occurred, the “Helper-ahead” of the train left the rails of Track one, and never touched the ground until after passing over tracks 2, 3, & 4!
A very interesting story and report.
Down South this is the big one folks still talk about:
The Great Train Wreck of 1918 occurred on July 9, 1918, in Nashville, Tennessee. Two passenger trains, operated by the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway (“NC&StL”), collided head-on, costing at least 101 lives and injuring an additional 171. It is considered the worst rail accident in United States history,[1] though estimates of the death toll of this accident overlap with that of the Malbone Street Wreck in Brooklyn the same year.
The two trains involved were the No. 4, scheduled to depart Nashville for Memphis, Tennessee at 7:00 a.m., and the No. 1 from Memphis, about a half-hour late for a scheduled arrival in Nashville at 7:10 a.m. At about 7:20 a.m., the two trains collided while traversing a section of single track line known as “Dutchman’s Curve” west of downtown, in the present-day neighborhood of Belle Meade. The trains were each traveling at an estimated 50 to 60 miles per hour; the impact derailed them both, and destroyed several wooden cars.
An investigation by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) attributed the cause of the accident to several factors, notably serious errors by the No. 4 crew and tower operators, all of whom failed to properly account for the presence of the No. 1 train on the line. The ICC also pointed to a lack of a proper system for the accurate determination of train positions and noted that the wooden construction of the cars greatly increased the number of fatalities.
(From Wikipedia)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/grabnet/1918trainwreck.jpg)
Doc Tom
I grew up in Wenatchee, WA, where the bulk of the injured were taken, and it seemed that it had just happened, even though some 50 years had elapsed. My parents and i drove over Steven’s Pass on a regular basis and would point out where the accident happened.
I hiked in there once, before the Iron Goat Trail was even thought of, and several times since. When the wind sets just right, you can almost hear the voices.
That was a well written, scholarly paper, Craig. You should consider fleshing it out into a book.
Thanks for the comments. I think it looks really bad to my eyes… But that’s the difference in learning to write at the undergraduate level, and the graduate level.
I don’t know enough about the avalanche to write a book about it, but would highly recommend Martin Burwash’s book “Vis Major” to anyone who wants to learn a bit more in depth. Burwash writes from the perspective of the railroaders, so I’d call it historical fiction. Based on a true event, but he did have to fictionalize some of it.
The first time I attempted to visit the townsite of Wellington the road in was closed due to snow in July. Came back in September and was able to walk around a bit. Now the area has been more developed (paved parking lot, old GN caboose) and a lot more non railfans are learning about the Wellington avalanche.
What was eerie to me was stopping a train at Scenic at night, in the middle of a snow storm, and looking towards Wellington and the snow sheds… That raised the hair on my back.
Steve,
I’m not sure I could turn it into a book (my current work could easily be a book ), but if it was rewritten/edited, it might be a publishable article in a magazine.
Joe Zullo said:
Craig Townsend said:
Okay fine… I’ll upload it as a PDF. Now this was my undergraduate work so it reads really rough to me now.
I promise my MA work is much, much better
I wrote this right before Martin Burwash published his book “Vis Major” Burwash as a railfan, and non-academic historian did a wonderful job coming up with his book, and perspective of the avalanche.
http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/ctown2/_forumfiles/TownsendSeniorThesis.pdf
Craig,
Thanks.
Craig,
Great reading and well written.
Thanks
Nice report Craig. Interesting how so many see things from different perspectives.
J.D. Gallaway said:
The wreck Jon mentioned at Bennington Curve was the wreck of PRR’s Red Arrow passenger train. You can find the ICC investigation report online, According to what I was told by a fellow engineer: when the wreck occurred, the “Helper-ahead” of the train left the rails of Track one, and never touched the ground until after passing over tracks 2, 3, & 4!
Yes, the Red Arrow wreck of 1947. Although quite spectacular in terms of mechanical damage the modern steel cars spared many lives. Twenty Four were killed on the Red Arrow that night. Not even close to the numbers in Wellington or Nashville.