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Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com www.TheCatoctinBanner.com The Catoctin Banner Newspaper September 2018 Page 35

1913

by James Rada, Jr.

The T rain Derailment No Passenger Noticed

The Western Maryland Railroad Courtesy of Thurmontimages.com It had not been a good summer
mail train left Hagerstown on time for the Western Maryland Railroad
on August 26, 1913, just another in Frederick County. Although only
day on the daily mail run. However, one person was killed, there had
as it rumbled down the steep grade been four accidents that delayed
on Horseshoe Curve in Sabillasville, traffic along the railroad.
the driving wheels of the engine left In late May, a westbound
the tracks. train had passed over the iron
“The engineer applied the air, bridge west of Thurmont, when a
but as the drivers on the engine refrigerated car loaded with pork
were off the rail, the air was jumped the rails and rolled down a
effective only on the five heavy 150-foot embankment. Somehow,
coaches,” the Catoctin Clarion it was the only one of eleven cars in
reported. the train to derail. The trucks stuck
The engine plowed ahead, no on the side of the embankment,
longer riding on iron rails but on and only the car went rolling to the
the railroad ties. The engineers kept bottom. It remained intact, and the
applying air to the brakes. Finally, 25 tons of meat was transferred to
the engineer thought the engine was Sabillasville Horseshoe Curve. another rail car and later delivered.
going to topple into a ravine and he At the end of July, an eastbound
jumped. As the coach cars became a happened. It appeared that the track engine’s wheels had left the track. train ran into the iron bridge,
greater drag on the engine, the train had separated about two inches on The pony and trailer wheels had destroying one of the engine
finally came to a standstill. the curve, which allowed the engine remained on and provided enough wheels. The engineer applied the
“Had the derailed engine skidded to leave the rails. guidance to keep the engine brakes and stopped the train before
a few inches further it would have “They found that the train had upright. it got out onto the bridge. Although
toppled over and fell into the deep virtually slid 61 rail lengths, or Although the engineer had been scared, none of the passengers were
ravine,” the Hagerstown Morning 2,013 feet, and that the flanges on injured by jumping from the train, injured.
Herald reported. the engine wheels had cut almost all the Catoctin Clarion reported A couple weeks before the
The crew climbed out of the the bolts in the plates which held that “passengers scarcely knew August 26 derailment, a flagman
engine to check what had happened. the rails together,” the Catoctin anything had happened.” fell asleep on the tracks. A
They walked back along the track to Clarion reported. The track remained blocked all westbound train hit him and
locate where the engine had left the Surprisingly, the engine hadn’t night before the engine could be crushed his leg and back. He died
rails and tried to figure out what had toppled over. Not all of the put back on the track. soon after the after the accident.

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