1907 - Steam Shovel on Rampage

[NW Mailing List]

Very interesting.  Last time I looked, Vickars (sic) was east of Waltons 
(sic) and if the drawbar was pulled out at Waltons it's uphill from there to 
Vickars.  Now, if the drawbar had pulled out at Montagues, it might work 
that way . . .

Just goes to show that reporters back then couldn't get things any 
straighter than they do today . . .

EdKing
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Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2007 10:48 PM
Subject: 1907 - Steam Shovel on Rampage



> 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.

>

> -----------------------------------

>

> - Ron Davis, Roger Link

>

>

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