Derailment On QA&P At Roaring Springs, TX - Train QLA - Grade Crossing Accident - 3/8/1961

Discussion in 'Quanah, Acme, & Pacific (QA&P)' started by gjslsffan, Sep 10, 2009.

  1. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Here are a few more old photographs.

    Looks like that old Mack truck was fouling the grade crossing. Also FW&D crane on loan.

    Photo caption says Pease River wreck.

    Dates and photographer unknown.

    Regards,

    Tom
     

    Attached Files:

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  2. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Sorry about that there was the Mack truck that was where it wasn't supposed to be.

    Tom
     

    Attached Files:

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  3. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Wooo - quite a mess! :(

    Can anybody confirm the numbers of the F-units?

    Is there an accident report available for this wreck?

    I haven't checked my files yet, but I don't remember seeing it.

    Ken
     
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  4. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    According to Hofsommer, p 175 & 176, the train was QLA and the accident derailment occurred on 3/8/61.

    Both occupants of the truck died; none of the crew was injured. It's supposedly the most expensive wreck on the QAP at $291,500.
     
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  5. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Yep,

    Your as right as rain Karl.

    And it was at Roaring Springs and not Pease River too. I was 34 days old when it happened. My Uncle Jerry Owens gave me these pictures 20 years ago I would guess. He worked for the Q in the roundhouse in Quanah.

    I wonder where he got the photos?

    Thanks for the info and corrections. I thumbed thru the Hoffsomer book and must have skipped over this page.

    What a small world huh?

    Tom
     
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  6. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I checked my files.

    No accident report.

    Does anyone have a copy?

    Ken
     
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  7. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Hi Tom,

    What years did your uncle work for the QA&P?

    My grandfather was a lineman on the QA&P from 1944 'til 1954ish, when he broke his back helping a phone company crew set a pole. His name was George McGuire, but he went by Mac. He was with the Frisco before that in Springfield, MO, but I don't know the dates.

    He worked for the Frisco nearly his entire working life until he was injured.

    Paul Moore
     
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  8. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Correction.

    My grandfather's actual name was James Martin McGuire. His son--my uncle--was George. Sorry about that. Granddad always went by Mac, so not many people knew his real name. My cousin, also George, just retired from the BNSF after a career as a conductor based out of Winslow.

    He started around 1974 with the ATSF, and stayed on after the merger.

    Paul Moore
     
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  9. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Hi Paul,

    I had 2 of my relatives, well, actually 3 work for the QA&P.

    The Uncle you may refer to, was my favorite Uncle Jerry Owens. He was an orphan that was adopted by a couple in Paducah, TX. He was a railroad enthusiast and a hero of mine. He as best as I can tell was employed by the QA&P in the late 1940's to early 1950's.

    As he told me, the roundhouse Foreman told him these railroad jobs were going away because of the diesels and to find another job.
     
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  10. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    My Uncle Jerry made use of his love for railroading in Panama by supporting the Pan American Railroad. He told me many stories about his firing of steam "oil fired" locomotives. He sure loved steam locomotives, I just wish he wasn't 4000 miles away from me.

    Before he died I got a job on the D&GW, SP, BN, then BNSF, as a trainman, and now engineer, never moved out of my current house LOL. I shared my trips with him so many times, I could hear in his voice the anticipation and understanding of train handling, every time we talked. He was a great influence in my life, I like to think he made me a better person, and continues to take many trips with me over the road.

    The second guy was my Grandpa Cooper. I have written more than I may have should written about him on other posts. Besides my father and Uncle Jerry, my Grandpa Cooper was another great male influence in my life.

    He started as a carman on the QA&P, when WWII broke out he was basically forced into engine service on the QA&P and had a 194"" to 1976 seniority date. He saw it all from 4-4-0s, to 2-8-0s, to 2-10 -0s. I remember him talking about those big old 900s or as we know, SD45s.

    He took me as a child on rides in GP7s. I remember many GP38s too. But when those SD45s showed up, it was something a little guy never forgot. Man those things were massive, and the sounds they made were just colossal. They were so tall, long and just sounded like they could wrinkle the rail behind themselves, not doubt when an SD45 was there it was the boss.

    So many times I went down there with him, hand in hand. That old dog lying there, always had time for the dog myself, some folks, not so much, but he was my buddy, always a wagging tail and glad to see me.

    My third connection was my grandpa on my fathers side, that was an agent for the QA&P in Swearingen. When they discontinued passenger service we had the ticket office in my back yard for years. Now none of that is left. Last summer I went to Paducah and Quanah and spent a few days talking to the museum curators from both towns.

    Most of the things I remembered as a child are many years ago in land fills. Last year when my younger brother and I were there the roads weren't even graded anymore. So sad for me. but I guess that is progress in some folks opinion.

    I guess it was a great time to be a little guy among giants in my world.
     
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  11. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Caroline and I took a really neat cruise in 2007 that went through the Panama Canal, Pacific to Atlantic, on Oceania's M S Regatta.

    The Panama RR is now owned and operated by the KCS. Much of their loco fleet is now ex-Amtrak F40's done up in the attractive KCS paint scheme. Anyway, the railroad parallels the canal for much of the way south of the canal, mainly on the Atlantic end. Three trains, mostly all container stacks, roared by us as we sailed along in the canal.

    At each end of the canal, there are huge container port facilities. Much of the traffic through the canal, and on the rails, are container ships and trains, plus huge automobile ships, and cruise ships. Obviously, the railroad gets the containers from one end to the other much faster than the ships do, but then there is the need to load and unload the trains.

    As an engineer, I was fascinated by the canal. Brilliant design and now expanded with additional, larger locks. They need to pump exactly zero gallons of water for a ship to transit the canal in either direction. It's all gravity flow.

    A highly recommended cruise if you ever have the desire.

    K
     
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  12. Ozarktraveler

    Ozarktraveler Member

    I transited the Panama Canal on this ship, the USS Holland (AS-32), in 1983.

    FB_IMG_1510326222036.jpg
     
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  13. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    You’re just not looking in the right spot in this thread.

    According to Hofsommer, p 175 & 176, train QLA on 3/8/61

    Both occupants of the truck died; none of the crew was injured.

    It's supposedly the most expensive wreck on the QAP at $291,500.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 3, 2024
  14. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    Ken,

    The blind end of the wrecked B-unit has SLSF 5116 on it and the A-unit in the same picture has three digits, 5-0-0.

    The wrecked A-unit doesn't have the wire mesh. That rules out 5000 or 5001 because they were "chicken wire" units.

    Tom G.
     
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  15. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Good sleuthing Tom!

    K
     
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  16. pensive

    pensive Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Marre/Harper's Frisco Power lists F3B unit 5116 as being retired and sold to GE in December, 1961 along with 5110, and 5115 as well as A-units 5010, 5015, and 5026.

    That none of the F3A's in the 5002-5009 series were retired before April 1964 suggests that that unit involved with the wreck was put back into service.

    Rich
     
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  17. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Thanks for the responses, Tom.

    I bet your two grandfathers knew my granddad. He started with the Frisco around 1930 and was with the QA&P from something like 1944 until 1954, the year I was born. He was a division lineman and broke his back trying to help some phone company crewmen.

    They were, according to what he told me, doing something dangerous that ended up hurting him. I can't remember the entire story. He's been gone since 1993, when he died of a stroke in his home in Stratford, OK, where he retired after working for the railroad.

    My mother grew up in Quanah. My wife, the dogs and I are tentatively taking a trip to Texas next week and plan to spend some time around Quanah and Childress. If it happens and I take any photos related to the railroad, I'll post them.

    Paul Moore
     
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  18. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    These photos actually show quite a bit in the way of detail that one doesn't normally get to see from such an angle, such as the precise placement of the 5-chime horn plus the single-chime horn on top of the covered wagon. It's just unfortunate it's a result of a high cost in terms of a human life and property damage.
     
  19. Robleese

    Robleese Member

    There was a Pease River wreck. I would have to look back in some notes for the details. But I think it was 1978.

    The FW&D Clarity tunnel was wrecked, and the FW&D made a temporary agreement with QA&P and AT&SF to operate Wichita Falls to Lubbock traffic thru Quanah-Floydada-Plainview-Lubbock. The wreck was caused by a FW&D engineer who pooped off his air and lost control of the train.

    Some years later, I can remember taking a leaky loaded ribbon rail train from Roaring Spring to Quanah with a GP15-1, with out dynamic brakes, in the lead. Our engineer was borrowed off the OKC board and wasn't familiar with the track. The conductor cautioned him about Pease River Hill and what could happen with poor train handling.
     
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  20. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    I remember that wreck Rob.

    It was real mess. The BN ran some big trains thru there during that. I seem to want to remember the switch off the FW&D main line, for that trackage was west of Estelline, TX.

    Wasn't it on or close to that curve just west of the highway crossing at Pease River?

    And also didn't that tunnel problem lead to that FW&D line closing and abandonment?

    Sure wish I could get a grade chart for the QA&P. I would like to know what the grade was on Pease River hill.

    I only have a 1971 Time Table.
     
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