On June 13, 1949, a Frisco freight train hit a washout on the Sherman-Carrollton-Irving mainline derailing 18 of the 4o cars in the consist. I have searched for several years seeking information on the washout as it occured behind my grandparent's small farm which was located between the Frisco and old US 77 (now I-35E) in Farmers Branch. I finally found a photo of the wreck and story in the San Bernardino Sun newspaper dated June 15, 1949, by searching Google. I enlarged the photo and discovered that several of the cars involved in the derailment belonged to Pacific Fruit Express. If you type in the data for this edition of the paper you should bring up the front page where the photograph is shown which accompanies the heading of the artical "11 die in Texas storm". The entire North Texas area was hit by severe flooding. I also found color (!) footage on YouTube of Ft. Worth under water taken by the Ft. Worth Police Deparment. B&W photos of T&P's Lancaster Yard in Ft. Worth were found on another site which includes the large Montomery Ward store as well as other pix of the area. If any member should locate additional material that covers the great 1949 North Texas flood relating to the Frisco please share with the rest of us. Thank You, Happy Hunting, Enjoy! Joe Toth The Trinity River Bottoms Boomer of Dallas, Texas Derailed in Deutschland!
Here are some matches from the UTA library. Be sure to click the thumbnail for the full-size photos: http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/show/43823 http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/show/43808 http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/show/43807 http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/show/43806 I think this one may be looking southeast along the Frisco toward Montgomery Ward and Bain Peanut, but I'm not positive: http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/show/91365 This one was taken just south of Bain Peanut looking south where the levee is today: http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/show/43832 And the best for last: http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/show/43819 This is what I was able to find, but you could probably find more here: http://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/items/search
Thanks for the assistance. No doubt all railroads in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area were hit hard by the flood. No doubt there are many more photos of them including the Frisco. A new project to undertake during these lazy crazy days of summer. Appreciate anyone else who finds more to please post. Joe Toth
