1907 - Steam Shovel on Rampage

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Sun Oct 14 22:48:00 EDT 2007


Roanoke Times - October 15, 1907

Steam Shovel on Rampage

A steam shovel, which was being shipped from Christiansburg to
Waverly, W. Va., caused havoc along the line of railroad from Waltons
to Christiansburg late Saturday afternoon. It seems that the draw-bar
was pulled out at Waltons and the shovel started down the track. The
operator at Vickars was notified that it was coming and was
instructed to place some obstruction on the track so as to derail the
car. He did so, but placed it on the wrong track, and in a few
moments the flying car, going at the rate of about forty miles per
hour, flew by. He telegraphed to the next operator and stated upon
which track the wild car was coming, and this operator managed to get
some cross-ties and rails on the track in time to throw it off. The
steam shovel was not much damaged, but the operators along the line
say they do not want to have the same experience again.

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- Ron Davis, Roger Link




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