1954 - NYC 3029 Split the switch at South Anderson Yard on the Emporia, The switch had been deliberately left open.
What must it be like to have been the crew of that locomotive when it "Left the rails". They would have had no idea how it would end, what with the combination of the enormous mass of the locomotive and the attendant cars behind it, along with whatever speed it was going at the moment it all went pear-shaped. Kinetic energy equals Mass/2 x Velocity^2.
Wow. Since it was at south Anderson yard, probably not traveling fast. Locomotive remained upright and it doesn't appear that the cars behind it even derailed, or if they did, they remained upright, too. Quite a photo, Roger.
Wow! What a pic. Interesting idea. Have a large locomotive do your spring garden rototilling at trackside? Seriously, switch left open. Labor dispute? I wonder.
If was figured as Juveniles. The loco was a good one and it was scrapped after this derailment. Time was running out for steam.
That's too bad, cause that's a great looking locomotive, could've been preserved somewhere if it wasn't for this.
When the General Motors' FT came along, perfectly good steam locomotives that were less than ten years old were sent to the breakers. The AT&SF was one of the first to adopt the diesel electric in large numbers, they couldn't get rid of their steam locomotives fast enough. The beginnings of WWII and the subsequent entry into it by the U.S. probably extended the life of mainline steam by a decade.
Switch stands weren't/aren't always locked. I remember seeing many around here without locks on them, particularly those in yards. An unfortunate situation but true. Doug