Atlantic Coast Line R-1 4-8-4's

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

OK, Bill,
It's like an innocent by-stander once noted -- N&W employees will sit  around
and complain, gripe, and find fault with the company, but let an outsider  
take
a swipe and it's good night nurse !
 
The 1800's were indeed handsome brutes (except for the 19th century  arched
cab window).  I suspect by now the mechanical maniacs have replied  that
the 1800's had a design flaw -- the counterbalancing.
 
Passenger service ?  ACL had a different clientele and much greater  volume,
but to the people of say, Welch, WV, The Powhatan Arrow had  just as much
pzazz as The Florida Special.
 
An N&W Safety Agent once told me that every railroad specializes in its  own
brand of disaster.   On the SAL, it was head-end  collisions.  On the old NS, 
it
was trestle collapses.  As Jack Webb said, "just the facts,  mam".
 
01/15/40 - Nahunta, GA.  No. 70 - Eng 1800 derailed.  11  injured.  CAUSE:
Broken 100# rail manufactured by Tennessee Coal & Iron (TC&I).  Rolled in 
1929.
 
So now ACL has a 260 ton locomotive bouncing up and down on 100#  rail.
 
03/31/41 - O'Neal, GA. 3/71 Eng 1804 derailed. 14 inured.  CAUSE:  Broken
100# rail rolled in 1929 by TC&I (Rail broke into 12 pcs.)
 
11/27/41 - Hortense, GA - No. 91 Engs 504-501 (Diesel-electric) derailed. 2  
killed-
77 injured.  CAUSE:  Broken 100# rail, rolled in 1929 by  TC&I.
 
10/17/43 - Bellbluff, VA - 1/76 Eng 1565 derailed - 1 killed, 8  injured. 
CAUSE:
Broken 100# rail, rolled in 1924 by TC&I.  Previous train had  caused rail 
burn,
but MofW forces OK'd for service.
 
12/16/43 - Rennert, NC (north of Buie).  No. 8 collided with No.  91.  CAUSE:
Fireman failed to provide adequate flag protection after No. 91 derailed  and
fouled northward main track.  No. 8 was derailed account broken  rail mfg. by
TC&I, rolled in 1939. 72 killed; 87 injured.
 
It's apparent that someone on ACL didn't get the message.  From 1910  into 
1970,
government investigations reveal that N&W accidents resulted in 97  
fatalities.  In
just one ACL incident, there were 72 deaths.  That's 74% of all the  
fatalities on
the N&W..
                                                                     Harry 
Bundy
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