Atlantic Coast Line R-1 4-8-4's

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Sounds to me like the ACL didn't like to buy good rail....

Jason Greene
Cumming, GA
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
  To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
  Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2005 9:00 AM
  Subject: Re: Atlantic Coast Line R-1 4-8-4's


  OK, Bill,
  It's like an innocent by-stander once noted -- N&W employees will sit around
  and complain, gripe, and find fault with the company, but let an outsider take
  a swipe and it's good night nurse !

  The 1800's were indeed handsome brutes (except for the 19th century arched
  cab window).  I suspect by now the mechanical maniacs have replied that
  the 1800's had a design flaw -- the counterbalancing.

  Passenger service ?  ACL had a different clientele and much greater volume,
  but to the people of say, Welch, WV, The Powhatan Arrow had just as much
  pzazz as The Florida Special.

  An N&W Safety Agent once told me that every railroad specializes in its own
  brand of disaster.   On the SAL, it was head-end collisions.  On the old NS, it
  was trestle collapses.  As Jack Webb said, "just the facts, mam".

  01/15/40 - Nahunta, GA.  No. 70 - Eng 1800 derailed.  11 injured.  CAUSE:
  Broken 100# rail manufactured by Tennessee Coal & Iron (TC&I). Rolled in 1929.

  So now ACL has a 260 ton locomotive bouncing up and down on 100# rail.

  03/31/41 - O'Neal, GA. 3/71 Eng 1804 derailed. 14 inured.  CAUSE: Broken
  100# rail rolled in 1929 by TC&I (Rail broke into 12 pcs.)

  11/27/41 - Hortense, GA - No. 91 Engs 504-501 (Diesel-electric) derailed. 2 killed-
  77 injured.  CAUSE:  Broken 100# rail, rolled in 1929 by TC&I.

  10/17/43 - Bellbluff, VA - 1/76 Eng 1565 derailed - 1 killed, 8 injured. CAUSE:
  Broken 100# rail, rolled in 1924 by TC&I.  Previous train had caused rail burn,
  but MofW forces OK'd for service.

  12/16/43 - Rennert, NC (north of Buie).  No. 8 collided with No. 91.  CAUSE:
  Fireman failed to provide adequate flag protection after No. 91 derailed and
  fouled northward main track.  No. 8 was derailed account broken rail mfg. by
  TC&I, rolled in 1939. 72 killed; 87 injured.

  It's apparent that someone on ACL didn't get the message.  From 1910 into 1970,
  government investigations reveal that N&W accidents resulted in 97 fatalities.  In
  just one ACL incident, there were 72 deaths.  That's 74% of all the fatalities on
  the N&W..
                                                                      Harry Bundy


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