ENGINEER STRANDED IN RAGING CREEK NEAR CABOOL The text from the newspaper article. From: West Plains Daily Quill 1/10/75 ENGINEER STRANDED IN RAGING CREEK NEAR CABOOL WHEN 37 CARS DERAIL "High Waters Wash Out Track Section" Thirty-seven railroad cars of a Frisco freight train near Cabool early today, after rain-swollen Potter Creek washed out a section of track.Two engines went into the creek. Rescuers hampered by high water were unable to reach the engineer and fireman for about two hours and the men were stranded on top of the engine. The Associated Press gave this information about the derailment: The engineer, Tom McKee, 55 of Springfield and the fireman, Al Cole of Springfield, were taken to a hospital for examination. A railroad spokesman said the men suffered bruises and lacerations. Other crewmen on the 95-car train were not hurt. Thirty-seven cars of the train derailed- 18 of them loaded- along the side of the creek, some of them spilling a variety of merchandise into the creek. The cars carried such items as cigarettes, glasswar and canned goods. "There were quite a few cars piles up in the creek. It's a mess," said a witness. "There are fluorescent light bulbs, clothes and boxes floating up and down the creek," the witness said. Another witness said the scene looked liked a 75-yard long trash dump. B.C.Davidson, assistant general manager for the Frisco at Springfield, said the track might be cleared by Sunday morning. The train was enroute from Memphis to Kansas City. The accident occured about three miles northeast of Cabool in south-central Missouri in Texas County. While approaching the derailment site from approximately two miles downstream this morning, a (West Plains, MO.) Quill photographer noticed some 10 to 15 persons gathering clothing and other spilled goods from the swollen creek. The most popular items being gathered appeared to be mens clothing and carpets. The smell of diesel fuel filled the air as far as two miles from the wreckage, the photographer observed. Two years ago almost to the day, 20 Frisco cars derailed and plunged into Mammoth Spring at Mammoth Springs, Ark. The derailment today is several miles from another derailment of a Frisco train which occured last Saturday four miles east of Mtn.Grove. Frisco Railway Company has experienced numerous derailments in this area in the past two years. Another derailment occured just north of West Plains Dec.21. Several cars and pickups lined a muddy road near the wreckage while onlookers trudged through a muddy field to view the dera
Wreck SLSF#856 and sent SLSF#917 This was the accident that destroyed SLSF#856 and sent SLSF#917 to the shop to be rebuilt.
Flood SLSF #2867 Flood SLSF #2867 These photos were taken by Robert Tribble who was a Frisco brakeman at the time.
Any one else see the irony of the UP's slogan We can Handel it painted on the lead unit. I dont think they handeled that flood well. Ship it on the Frisco!!! Murphy Millican
A.C. Cole the fireman on this job had just returned to the lead unit after checking the consist when they hit the creek. His lucky day. Think what would have happened to him if he had been walking along side one of those units.
