N&W 1950s wreck in West Virginia

[NW Mailing List]

This was the wreck involving the 611, with #3, the westbound "Pocahontas". It happened at 12:51 am on January 23, 1956, at Cedar, WV. The reports I have copies of (the ICC report and a memo by then-Pocahontas Division superintendent P.C. Wingo) state excessive speed as the cause. The engineer was the only fatality with several crew members as well as over 50 passengers being injured.
Lois J.Ponton


Sent From My Sprint Phone.

------ Original message------
From: NW Mailing List
Date: Wed, Feb 13, 2019 8:01 AM
To: NW Mailing List;
Cc: Linda Malone;
Subject:Re: N&W 1950s wreck in West Virginia

Sure sounds like the 611 wreck.

Dave Phelps

On Wed, Feb 13, 2019 at 7:12 AM NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org<mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
From: Linda [mailto:lvmalo at comcast.net<mailto:lvmalo at comcast.net>]
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2019 3:06 PM
To: fscheer at railwaymailservicelibrary.org<mailto:fscheer at railwaymailservicelibrary.org>
Subject: RMS Library

Hi,

I am interested in information which you may not have, but I’m hoping you could guide me to resources if you don’t have it.

My father was a railway postal clerk on the Norfolk and Western line running between Cincinnati and Bluefield, WV. I know there was a serious accident on this line sometime in the 1950s, but don’t know exactly where or when. According to family lore, the mail car ran down an embankment and into a ditch. The engineer was killed. It purportedly involved excess speed on a sharp curve and I believe it occurred on the WV part of the route, though I am not positive.

Do you have any archival material that might help me to gather more information about this incident or, if not, could you suggest some other possible resources?

Thank you. I very much appreciate your time.

—Linda Malone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good morning, Linda:

The RMS Library does not have specific information on the wreck although there would have been an Interstate Commerce Commission accident report prepared.  I've copied a mailing list of N&W Railway historians and will relay to you any responses to your query.

My other recommendation to you is that you request a copy of your father's official personnel file from the National Personnel Records Center near St. Louis.  It is likely there is some information about his death in that file, as well as other career information.

Best wishes,

Dr. Frank R. Scheer, Curator
Railway Mail Service Library, Inc.
f_scheer at yahoo.com<mailto:f_scheer at yahoo.com>
(571) 379-3409 - daytime cell
In the 1913 former N&W Railway depot along Clarke County route 723
117 East Main Street
Boyce, VA 22620-9369  USA

Please note: only parcels sent via USPS can be accepted at this address.

Visit at http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org or
http://www.facebook.com/RailwayMailServiceLibrary

http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2008.DOC
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/ebay/RMSL2009.DOC
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2010.DOC
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2011.doc
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2012.doc
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2013.pdf
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2014.doc
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2015.doc

http://blog.stamplibrary.org/index.php/2011/01/21/railway-mail-service-library/

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=353755

"Owney Day" at the National Postal Museum: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2062104465440.2115624.1029546011&l=906bc64b9f&type=1

If you have an interest in RPOs, please visit the RailwayPO group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RailwayPO
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Regards, Dave
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