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Wrecks are not pleasant to contemplate, but are a fact of life. Please, be careful around trains, track, railroad equipment, and crossings. Trains are big, heavy, and dangerous. The speed of a train can be deceptive because of its size. It can be moving a lot faster than it looks. A train hitting a car is about the equivalent of a car hitting a tin can. The car always loses. There is a train/vehicle accident in the United States about every ninety seconds. Don't be a statistic.


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This is a collection of some MONON railroad disasters/accidents/wrecks.

1871: June 24, 1871, Wanatah, Indiana. A culvert on the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad was seriously damaged by heavy rains A northern bound express, due there about three o’clock this morning, not knowing of the danger, dashed on to it at full speed.  The structure, unable to support the heavy weight, sank with the engine and first baggage car into the yawning abyss of the surging water, nearly fifteen feet in depth; the passenger cars uncoupled and remained on the embankment, thus saving a frightful loss of life. The fireman, Ed Whitcomb was unable to escape from the engine, was carried down and instantly killed.  Engineer Grimstead escaped with some serious if not fatal cuts on his person and some serious burns.  The baggageman was also badly hurt. ADDED 04-15-2009

1880's Exact Date Unknown: Wea Creek, Indiana. Bridge Collapse.

1883: December 24, 1883: Salem, Indiana. A southbound train ran into the washed out bridge on the Blue River. The train was running at the rate of forty miles an hour when it reached the bridge. The abutments of which had been undermined by the swollen stream.  The locomotive crossed safely, but the baggage and mail cars, the express car and gentlemen's’ car plunged into the stream.  The ladies and buffet car remained on the track. There were some fatalities, Charles Sanford, train baggage-master, and a lady named Dora Eddings, of Lafayette, and four passengers, names not known.  The engineer, John Vaughn, engineer, his fireman and eight passengers.were injured. ADDED 04-17-2009

1884: February 1, 1884: Indianapolis, Indiana. Wreck at bridge over White River. The passenger train consisted of an engine, baggage and express car, smoking car and ladies coach. The bridge was nearly new, having been in use less than a year.  It broke in two places. Several fatalities including, John Brewer, engineer, of Lafayette; J.E. Ricketts, baggage master, of Monon; E. Smith, express messenger, of Madison, Ind.; George Lowry, brakeman, of Buena Vista, Ind.; Thomas Parr, superintendent of bridge repairs, of Delphi, Ind.; John Bray, passenger, of Deming, Ind.; Lynn Clark, passenger, of Westfield, fatally injured. Eight others were severely injured. ADDED 04-18-2009

1884: July 28, 1884: collapse of White River bridge on B&B branch.

1884: October 18, 1884: Near Putnamville, Indiana. “The Louisville Express", No. 4, going north on the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago road, at 2:30 o’clock, was thrown from the track at Putnamville, going down an embankment seven feet. The engine was badly wrecked, the baggage car rolled over one and a half times, and the passenger coaches went on one side.  The front trucks of the sleeper left the track.  Engineer James Church had three ribs broken.  Express messenger Charley Cutler had his right hand mashed.  The baggage-man was buried under baggage and bruised.  One hundred passengers were bruised and scratched, but not otherwise injured. The loss was $75,000.   The accident is thought to have been caused by a tramp drawing a bolt out of a switch and throwing it open. ADDED 04-18-2009

1885: February 19, 1885: Bloomington, Indiana. A passenger train on the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad, ran upon a sidetrack at Bloomington, Indiana, and collided with a freight car.  Two passenger coaches were thrown from the track and all the passengers more or less injured. The cause was a misplaced switch, ADDED 04-18-2009

1886: October 28, 1885: Cedar Lake, Indiana. A freight wreck on the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad.  A heavy train of mixed freight for Chicago principally coal and cattle, was rounding an abrupt curve when a lighter freighted train overtook and crashed into it.  The caboose in the rear of the first train was wrecked, and quickly commenced to burn.  Two men were burned to death in the ruins and several others seriously injured.  The dead were stockmen. ADDED 04-18-2009

1886: December 21, 1886: Near Hunters. A wreck occurred at Woodyard station, on the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad Sunday, which resulted in the killing of Engineer Daniel Heaphey. A south bound train had arrived at Woodyard, the first pulling into the switch, followed by the second, which did not clear the main track. A north bound train broke in two about two miles south of Woodyard and came into the station at a lively speed and crashed into the second section, smashing his engine to pieces and demolishing a large number of cars. ADDED 04-19-2009

1887: April 7, 1887: Horseshoe Bend, south of Bloomington. Two local freight trains were following each other some distance apart. Horseshoe Bend is upon a heavy grade, where the road makes almost a complete circle around a hill.  Here, for some reason, the first freight had stopped when the second train was heard, and in an instant the engine plunged into the caboose, jamming a number of box cars together with tremendous force.  Several people were injured. ADDED 04-19-2009

1889: February 8, 1889: Quincy, Indiana. Local freight No. 43 running south, when the five cars immediately in from of the caboose derialed. The train was going at a good speed and in an instant the cars with the caboose were thrown down an embankment, tearing up the track for several yards. Conductor Charles Wilson was serioiusly injured and Everett Corry, a brakeman, were killed.. ADDED 05-29-2009.

1890: January 28, 1890: Indianapolis, Indiana. The fast express on the Air Line division of the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad was wrecked at the trestle over Wilson’s creek, sixteen miles north of this city, shortly before 8 o’clock. Seven people were killed, and over twenty were injured, and several later died as a result of their injuries. ADDED 04-20-2009

1890: February 15, 1890: North of Bedford, Indiana. A collision yesterday morning on the MONON Railroad north of Bedford, Ind.  Two men were killed, including Charles Wright, a mail agent of Orleans, Ind., and two others injured. ADDED 04-20-2009

1890: February 26, 1890: Pleasant Ridge, Indiana. A special passenger train of twelve Pullman sleepers and two coaches, attempting to make a switch at Pleasant Ridge, ten miles beyond Monon, came to a standstill on the track.  A north-bound freight overtook the special and crashed into it, smashing the two rear coaches into kindling wood.  A heavy fog prevailed at the time of the wreck. ADDED 04-20-2009

1890: July 15, 1890: Near Gosport, Indiana. A collision between a train going north and a southbound freight.  They came together near Smithland, Ind., and a wreck resulted.  Six persons, however, are known to have been injured, some of them fatally. ADDED 04-20-2009

1890: August 2, 1890: Bedford, Indiana. Seven miles north of Bedford, a southbound passenger train from Chicago came in collided with the north bound passenger train from Louisville.  Several of the cars were completely telescoped.  The fatalities included, Arthur Burus, of New Albany, engineer, southbound train, George Cole, New Albany, fireman, southbound train.   It is Nine were injured. ADDED 04-21-2009

1890: Exact Date Unknown: Pittsburg, Indiana. Wreck and collapse of the Wabash River bridge.

1891: May 22, 1891: Lafayette, Indiana. Fast mail and passenger train northbound for Chicago jumped the track a mile and a half south of the city. The entire train tumbled over into a deep ditch, the engine alone keeping the track.  Most of the injuries were minor except for express messengers Charles Cutler and Joseph Blistor and Conductor Brown, who were hurt severely. ADDED 04-22-2009

1892: January 11, 1892: Crawfordsville, Indiana. Northbound passenger hits broken rail north of Sugar Creek and derails sending several coaches down steep embankment. Many fatalities and injuries, including Madame Irma Van Rokey of Hungary and her troupe who had performed at Music Hall.

1892: May 4, 1892 Otis, Indiana. During a severe storm, an 11 car freight train, drawn by locomotive #27 derailed after the bridge washed out north of Otis, Indiana. Killed were Engineer John Murray and Fireman Jim Bowen. (-courtesy Betty Smith-)

1892: June 16, 1892 Bedford, Indiana. A northbound passenger train on the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago railroad met with a serious accident about four miles south of Bedford. Nearing the White river bridge, the rear coach jumped the track and rolled down a steep embankment, pulling the other coach and the engine, tender and mail and baggage cars with it. The engine also jumped the track, but lodged about half-way down the embankment. Killed was John Carmony, Engineer. (-Courtesy Kenneth Weller from the June 17, 1882 edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA. )

1892: August 4, 1892: North Of Indianapolis: Passenger train northbound to Chicago was wrecked at a cattle guard eight miles north of this city when running at a rate of thirty miles an hour.  A cow had become fast in the guard, and when the engine struck her it left the track and fell over on its side, Harry Metzer, the engineer, was caught under the engine and crushed to death.  Fireman Charles Hill received a severe cut on the head and suffered internal injuries. The first car of the train was thrown across the track but did not go over, and beyond a terrible scare the passengers suffered no injury. ADDED 04-22-2009

1892: September 10, 1892: Lafayette, Indiana. 3 miles south of the city, a freight train and a gravel train collided.  About twenty cars were piled up.  The trainmen escaped with a few bruises, but a tramp stealing a ride was killed.  Trains were delayed several hours.  The damage was heavy. ADDED 04-22-2009

1893: May 31, 1893: Broad Ripple, Indiana. Passenger train No 46, from Cincinnati to Chicago struck a horse in a culvert at Broad Ripple, nine miles from Indianapolis. The engine was thrown from the track rolled 50 yards and landed in a gravel pit.  Engineer George T. Plank was killed and Fireman Williams was injured.  The baggage car was entirely destroyed.  Two day coaches and one sleeper were dragged from the track and damaged but the other four sleepers held to the track.  Many passengers were rudely disturbed, but escaped serious injury. ADDED 04-23-2009

1896: December 19, 1896: Near Monticello, Indiana. Wreck train derailment. 4 crew members were fatally injured. ADDED 04-25-2009

1897: July 26, 1897: Near Bloomington, Indiana. Two freight trains collided. Both trains were badly damaged and one employee severely injured. ADDED 04-25-2009

1897: August 7, 1897: Indianapolis, Indiana. Head on collision between MONON and Pennsylvania Railroad Fast Train on the Chicago Division. MONON Engineer William M. Martin was killed at the Market Street crossing. ADDED 04-11-2010

1900: January 16, 1900: Owensburg, Indiana: Cave in at the tunnel catching 5 men. ADDED 05-12-2009

1900: August 6, 1900: South Raub, Indiana: Passenger train No. 3 collided with a freight engine and caboose standing on the side track.  The freight was waiting for the passenger train to pass.  The passenger, running twenty-five miles an hour, turned into the switch, and an instant later the crash came. Killed were Lewis Raub, Lafayette, freight engineer; Thomas Craft, Lafayette, freight fireman; Joseph Hudlow, Lafayette, passenger fireman. ADDED 04-26-2009

1900: October 8, 1900: Monticello, Indiana. Passenger trains No. 33 and 35 crashed together in a head-on collision on the curve. The south-bound train was going slowly, having just left the station, and the north-bound train was slowing up for the station.    Three persons were injured, all of Indianapolis.  They are Engineer James M. Covington of train 35, Laz Noble and Marvin R Maxwell.  The engines were totally wrecked and the baggage cars were badly damaged. ADDED 04-26-2009

1902: August 18, 1902: Hammond, Indiana. MONON passenger train crashed into a heavy Erie freight early yesterday morning near Hammond, Ind., killing one man, probably fatally injuring his brother, and wounding three others. All 300 excursionists escaped. Also a MONON freight train which was standing on an adjoining track was struck and caught fire. ADDED 01-17-2010.

1902: December 30, 1902: Quincy, Indiana. Freight train wreck. The engine and eighteen cars, loaded with hogs and cattle, were piled up in a ditch. Engineer Albert S. Barker, Fireman Joseph J. Eglen and Brakeman Hiram Perry were killed. A switch lock was found broken, supposedly by tramps, and the switch turned. ADDED 04-29-2009

1903: March 17, 1903: Cyclone, Indiana: At 3:00 am two fast passenger trains, No's. 35 and 36, collided at Cyclone, The trains had orders to pass at Cyclone.  No. 36 made up its time and reached Cyclone earlier than expected by the crew of No. 35, which train was to take the siding.  All of the train except two sleepers and a chair car had cleared the main track, when No. 36 crashed into it.  A dense fog prevented the engineer from seeing the train until too late to avoid a collision. The sleepers were filled with passengers, who were tumbled out of their berths, many of them pinioned under the wreckage.  Both sleepers were overturned and the chair car ditched.  There is no telegraph station at Cyclone and the trains were lost for an hour. ADDED 04-29-2009

1903: Exact Date Unknown: Salt Creek bridge on B&B branch collapsed under the weight of a stone train.

1903: August 14, 1903: Cambria, Indiana. A passenger train, carrying two coaches filled with passengers, rerailed at Cambria by the breaking of an axle.  No one was seriously injured. ADDED 04-30-2009

1905: June 20, 1905: Carmel, Indiana. A collision between a local MONON freight train and a work train on the MONON railroad near Carmel. Three Indianapolis trainmen sustained injuries.  John W. Ulrey, the conductor of the freight train, who was riding on the engine, was thrown from the cab. Albert H. Jones, fireman, who was in the cab with Ulrey, was slightly bruised and cut about the head. James Reser, brakemen, was badly shake up and bruised.(Story in The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. )

1905: August 10, 1905: Ellettsville, Indiana. A local freight unloading at the depot when a through freight crashed into the rear of the local. The local was composed of caboose and six loads of freight, one a car of matches and one car of hay. The matches were ignited and the hay served as tinder. The depot caught fire from the burning cars and a big blaze was the result. Fortunately no one was hurt. ADDED 05-30-2009

1906: March 17, 1906: Murdock, Indiana. Passenger train derails near Murdock. Many injuries. ADDED 04-20-2009

1906: April 19, 1906: Lacrosse, Indiana. Pennsylvania Railoroad southbound freight train, second No. 80 out of Chicago, struck a MONON freight at the PRR and MONON railroad crossing at Lacrosse at 10:30, doing serious damage to the MONON freight and injuring Fireman James Wilson and Brakeman Johnson. Tthe cars of the MONON crashed by the engine of No. 80 caught fire and burned. ADDED 05-03-2009

1906: September 19, 1906: Bainbridge, IN. George South, fireman on a MONON railroad gravel train, was killed today in a rear-end collision between his train and a freight train on the same road. Several cars were broken up. (-The Fort Wayne Sentinel-)

1906: October 4, 1906: Broad Ripple, IN. Fast Mail Train No. 32, northbound, and No. 31 southbound, from Chicago, on the MONON Railroad, collided today at Broad Ripple. Two persons were seriously injured. They are H.J. Hanseman, a mail clerk living at Cincinnati, and G. R. Jones, conductor of northbound train.

1906: September 19, 1906: Bainbridge, Indiana. A gravel train and a freight train collision. George South, fireman was killed.  No other injuries were reported.  Several cars were broken up. ADDED 05-05-2009

1906: December 5, 1906: Near Frankfort, Indiana: Train No. 36, which is the fast limited of that line between Cincinnati and Chicago, derailed two miles north of Frankfort, Indiana. The cause was a broken rail.  Eighteen passengers out of a total 175 on the train were injured, there were no fatalities. ADDED 05-05-2009

1906: December 27, 1906: Greencastle, Indiana. French Lick special, carrying a large number of passengers for French Lick and West Baden wrecked near Greencastle, Indiana. The passenger train crashed into the rear end of a freight train while the passenger train was running at full speed trying to make up lost time. The freight train had been pulled into a siding and the switch was closed, leaving the main line cleared. ADDED 05-05-2009

1907: January 14, 1907: Chicago, Illinois: Collision between a southbound MONON passenger train and sleeper car on the end of a Wabash passenger train near 112th Street. Seven people were injured. ADDED 05-05-2009

1907: March 22, 1907: Fair Oaks, Indiana: A fast passenger train wrecked near Fair Oaks. The train was running about 30 miles an hour when it left the rails and plunged into the soft embankment on the side of the track.  The engine, baggage car and express car rolled down an embankment, but the passenger coach maintained an upright position on the fill.  Every coach was well filled with passengers. No one was killed and none fatally hurt. ADDED 05-05-2009

1909: May 14, 1909: Diamond, Indiana: Head on collision involving Train #3 and Train #74. The accident occurred when an operator at Bloomington failed to deliver an order for Train #3 to take the Smithville Line. ADDED 06-08-2009

1909: July 18, 1909: Manchester, Indiana: Passenger train No. 3, southbound on the MONON Railroad, jumped the track while rounding a curve. Two trainmen were killed and six passengers injured.  The mail clerks, the conductors and baggageman were slightly hurt. ADDED 05-07-2009

1909: July 24, 1909: Munster, Indiana. One person killed, and two others seriously hurt in a collision between an automobile and a passenger train on the MONON railroad. ADDED 03-06-2011

1909: August 25, 1909: Owensburg, Indiana. Cave in the Owensburg Tunnel. No train was directly involved. No injuries. ADDED 05-07-2009

1910: February 1, 1910: Wilson, Indiana. Train No. 6 wrecked near Wilson, Indiana.  The wreck was caused by the train leaving the track.  Only four persons were slightly injured and none seriously hurt. ADDED 05-08-2009

1910: May 3, 1910. Bloomington, Indiana. MONON locomotive jumped the track, while going to the relief of a coal train that had stalled, and overturned twenty-five miles north of this city yesterday, pinning its crew in the wreckage of the cab and tender. Engineer Johnson, of Lafayette, received serious internal injuries. Conductor Hensley and Brakeman Tindley, of this city, were painfully bruised.

1910: June 5, 1910: Dewitts Siding, south of Lowell, Indiana. MP 46.5. Passenger Train #4 slams into rear of Train #72. The passenger was traveling close to 55 miles per hour. 1 fatality.

1911: Exact Date Unknown: Manchester, Indiana. Accident at the south end of the Manchester siding. (More details to follow.)

1911: Rossville, Indiana. Passenger train derailment. More details coming soon. Added 02-20-2011

1912: January 19, 1912: Mitchell, IN: MONON Q.D. Freight #71 was crossing the diamond when westbound B&O Freight #88 ploughed into the MONON train The momentum of the northbound MONON freight kept crowding the locomotive until it left the tracks, resulting in damage to the depot. The accident caused about $5,000.00 property damage. ADDED 08-27-2009 (Courtesy Joe Land.)

1912: March 12, 1912: Ellettsville, IN: Five residents of Spencer were killed when their buggy was struck by the MONON Midnight Chicago Express at Owens Crossing, just south of town. ADDED 05-29-2011

1912: June 8, 1912: Sand Pit: Passenger trains 5 and 8 collide head-ont. (4 miles south of Bedford); 1 mail clerk killed, 50 injured. ICC Accident Report. Updated 02-17-2011

1912: June 11, 1912: Hunters, Indiana. 1-2 freight cars derailed of freight #71, at Hunter switch north of Bloomington.

1912: July 13, 1912: Wea Creek, Indiana: Engine and nine loaded coal cars were wrecked at Little Wea bridge near here yesterday, when the train, which the engineer was unable to stop, after being flagged, ran into the bridge on which laborers were repairing track. B. P. Young, brakeman, of Lafayette, was seriously injured. ADDED 05-17-2009

1914: May 5, 1914. Lowell, Indiana. Train No. 4, the fast Louisville-Chicago mail train, on the MONON route was wrecked at this place at 9 o'clock Tuesday morning. The wreck occurred at the Washington Street crossing and was derailed by a broken switch.

1916: February 23, 1916: Frankfort, Indiana: Hoosier Limited northbound passenger train derailed. The locomotive, tender and baggage car left the tracks. A broken rod on the tender was blamed for the accident. Four people were injured. ADDED 05-19-2009

1920s: Exact Date Unknown: Paoli, Indiana: Derailment near Lost River. Locomotive #518 derailed. ADDED 05-08-2009

1920: August 19, 1920. Cement, Indiana: Bridge over Lonestar Cement Plant lead collapses. Steam locomotive #513 damaged. ADDED 07-26-2009.

1923: March 2, 1923: Near Cloverdale, Indiana. Extra southbound freight No. 513, pulling a heavy train, was running at high speed when a derailment occurred piling up 19 cars heavily loaded with merchandise, including automobiles, lumber and wheels. The train was in charge of "Hickory" Cornwell, conductor and Frank Fisher, engineer. No injuries were reported. The wreck happened at a point near a point near a long siding and trains were able to pass the wreckage without detouring.

1924: September 11, 1924: Taylors, Indiana. 26 cars of northbound freight train #56 derailed 1/2 mile south of Taylors (south of Lafayette); 2 killed, 1 injured.

1924: April 9, 1924: Lafayette, Indiana. Wabash River The crash took out one of the truss spans over the Wabash at MP 115.7 (south of Battleground).

1924: June 9, 1924: Pekin, Indiana. Train #71 wreck and derailment. Fourteen freight cars left the tracks in downtown Pekin. Heavy property loss. ADDED 02-24-2010

1926: December, 1926: Howesville, IN (More information coming)

1926: December 26, 1926: Frankfort, Indiana. A side collision between Nickel Plate and CIL ICC Accident Report 1317. Updated 02-17-2011

1928: Februray 2, 1928 Hammond, Indiana. MONON employee Byron Somes, stationary engineer, was killed when he was struck by a locomotive in the yard. The accident occurred near the roundhouse at the South Hammond yard. Added 09-06-2011

1928: May 25, 1928: St. John, Indiana. Passenger train #36 hit low-boy trailer north of St. John, Indiana; engineer & fireman killed. ICC Accident Report Updated 02-17-2011

1929: November 15, 1929: Roachdale, Indiana. A side collision between B&O and CIL. 4 passengers and 5 workers were injured. ICC Accident Report 1590. Updated 02-17-2011.

1931: March 19, 1931: Guernsey, Indiana wreck. Engines 252, 440, and 442 involved. Engineerr John Miller (442) and Engr. G. Marlowe (or J. Marlow) (252), both killed. Injured included C. Smith and C. Houston (440), and H. Robertson and G. Wilbanks (or Wellbanks) (firemen). This accident was caused primarily by the failure of Engineman Marlow, of Train No. 91, to properly to obey signal indications. ICC Accident Report. Updated 02-17-2011

1932: March 2 1932: Indianapolis. Indiana. Derailment of northbound Train #30 with 12 passengers and 2 workers injured. This accident occurred within the interlocker limits of Mass. Ave., 1.8 miles North of Union Station. ICC Accident Report 1755. Updated 0217-2011

1934: November 1, 1934. Jordan, Indiana: Accident. A head on with 1 fatality and 6 workers injured. ICC Accident Report 1941. Updated 02-17-2011

1936: June 12, 1936: Putnamville, Indiana. Freight train wreck. Three fatalities, four others injured. Train #56, Steam Locomotive #576 with 47 cars. Cause of accident, unknown. ICC Accident Report. Updated 02-17-2011

1939: July 27, 1939: Water Valley, Indiana. Train #73 derails at the Kankakee River. Fourteen cars derail into the Kankakee River. Trestle severely damaged and replaced. Traffic was. Newspaper article.

1939: Exact Date Unknown: Indianapolis (53rd Street) freight train derailed.

1939: January 19, 1939 : Bainbridge, Indiana. Southbound freight hits truck loaded with roll of paper (Additional info to be posted.)

1940's: Exact Date Unknown: Mitchell, Indiana: Northbound train with an F3 set in the lead followed by a 570 class steamer struck a hopper in a B&O train at the crossing; front truck of the F-3 derailed.

1943: November 27, 1943; Rossville, Indiana. Derailment at Rossville.

1944: May 18, 1944: Dyer, Indiana. Train #6 hit Hancock Industries semi truck loaded with toilets at Highway 30 crossing, Dyer, Indiana.

1947: Paoli, Indiana. Derailment on the French Lick Branch behind the Indiana Handle Company. ADDED 11-30-2011

1947: March 6, 1947: Lafayette, Indiana: 2 cars damaged when car driven into MONON freight engine on 5th Street in Lafayette.

1947: March 25, 1947: Monon, Indiana: MONON employee run over by yard engine at Monon.

1947: March 29, 1947: Indianapolis, Indiana: 2 cars and caboose of freight #93 derailed; passenger trains #14 & 15 detoured over NKP.

1947: June 3, 1947: Ash Grove, Indiana: Head-on collision in Ash Grove between freight trains #70 and 75. ICC Accident Report Added 02-17-2011

1947: June 5, 1947: Frankfort, Indiana. Nickel Plate passenger engine hit MONON engine of freight # 90 in Frankfort.

1947: July 13, 1947: Salem, Indiana. Freight train derails where the Blue River washed out the roadbed about a mile east of salem. The wash out caused a F3 A-B-A lash up to turn over and 17 cars to batter themselves into kindling. ADDED 06-08-2009

1948: January 30, 1948. Derailment at Lafayette. No other details. ADDED 11-30-2011

1949: May 14, 1949: Ladoga, Indiana. Derailment involving Train #72.

1950: January 31, 1950: Crawfordsville, Indiana: Ames tower knocked down by derailment on Train #70. A reefer dropped a drawbar causing another car loaded with bricks to derail at the Vandalia crossing. The two story tower, with four people inside, was knocked to the ground.

1950: January 8, 1950: Ladoga, Indiana. Derailment of Train #70.

1950: May 5, 1950: Ash Grove, Indiana. Near MP 111, passenger train #5 hit truck, delayed 30 minutes.

1950 Exact Date Unknown: Crawfordsville, Indiana. Accident at Main Street crossing, pedestrian injured.

1951 February 11, 1951: Greencastle, Indiana. Twenty eight cars of #72 derailed near Walnut Creek. No injuries were reported.

1951: June 21, 1951: Orleans, Indiana. Derailment of a southbound freight. The accident when the southbound freight ran into some freight cars being switched by the French Lick local, three cars that had failed to clear the mainline and four others that were sideswiped on the siding. The three diesel units were heavily damaged. The Fireman, David Shanks, of Mitchell was injured at treated at the hospital. The Engineer was C.R. Yates and J.R. Vandenburg was the Conductor. Damage was estimated at close to $100,000.00. -Additional Information Courtesy Of Edwin Ward, of Orleans, Indiana-

1951: September 17, 1951: Monon, Indiana: Derailment of passenger train #5 at MONON. Engineer Hub Dickerson is killed. Six people are injured, station destroyed. ICC Accident Report Added 02-17-2011

1952: May 22, 1952: Lowell, Indiana: Derailment and fire in downtown Lowell. Accident caused by broken wheel on freight car. Original Lowell depot destroyed in the resulting fire. No injuries.

1952: June 3, 1952: Cambria, Indiana: Train #90 derails several cars near Cambria. Nine coal and six boxcars derail. No injuries.

1952: July 19, 1952: Fair Oaks, Indiana. Broken journal derails 16 cars on #70 on team track switch.

1950's: Exact Date Unknown: Crawfordsville, Indiana: A bridge south of Crawfordsville washed out; trains detoured for about 2 months.

1953: September 17, 1953: Pekin, Indiana. Several freight cars derial at the north end of the Pekin siding. ADDED 02-15-2010

1956: May 10, 1956. Carmel, Indiana. Freight train was derailed near the south edge of this town today. Seventeen cars left the tracks, all of them fully loaded and en-route to Indianapolis.  About 100 yards of rails were torn up. ADDED 03-10-2009

1956: November 15, 1956, South of Bloomington. Twenty-five cars, seven of them carrying color television sets, were derailed Wednesday on the MONON Railroad five miles south of Bloomington.  Other cars were loaded with grain, stone and canned goods. ADDED 03-01-2009

1957: February 27, 1957. Thayer, Indiana. Five passenger cars were knocked off the tracks late Wednesday when a MONON railroad passenger train was derailed near the Kankakee River, just south of the Lake-Newton County line, less than an hour after leaving the railroads Hammond depot.

1957: June 28, 1957. Walnut Creek. Bridge wash out. No derailment or involvement of trains. Bridge replaced.

1959: November 24, 1959: South Raub, Indiana: 20 loads of coal wrecked. Seven hoppers damaged beyond repair..

1959: November 30, 1959: North of Midland. Northbound train strikes semi truck and derails. ADDED 11-12-2010

1960: May 5, 1960: Lafayette, Indiana: Ten cars of a freight derailed on the north side of Lafayette. A broken journal was the cause. No injuries. ADDED 05-08-2009

1960: September 6, 1960: Wanatah, Indiana: Derailment of 11 cars and locomotive. A switch was tampered with and that caused the accident. ADDED 05-08-2009

1960: September 29, 1960: Adams, Indiana. Freight train derailment.ADDED 05-08-2009

1963: November 14, 1963: Rossville, Indiana. Two freight cars derail during switching operations. ADDED 05-08-2009

1963: December 16, 1963: Linden, Indiana: Seven cars of a 101 car freight derailed north of Linden. A broken drawbar was the cause of the accident. No Injuries. ADDED 05-08-2009

1964: October 15, 1964. Lowell, Indiana: South of Globe Industries. Several cars from a northbound 119 car freight train derail. Damage estimated at $75,000.00. 300 feet of track was also damaged.

1964: November 23, 1964: Orleans, Indiana. 15 cars of a freight train derail. A hot box was to blame. No injuries reported. ADDED 05-08-2009

1964: December 26, 1964. Yoeman, Indiana. Six freight cars were derailed. The derailment occurred when one wheel of a freight car slipped off the track and caused the pileup.  One car was filled with coal, one with sugar beet pulp and the other four were empty.  The track was tied up for several hours before it could be cleared. Engineer of the train, bound from Chicago to Indianapolis, was H. Eckman of Nora, Ind., and conductor was E.D. Robinson of Indianapolis. ADDED 03-21-2009

1965: February 21, 1965: St. Joseph, Indiana: 28 cars on southbound freight #73 derailed. Caused by hotbox on a carload of meat out of Chicago. Line was cleared in 3 days, cleanup took 9 days to complete.

1966: December 9, 1966: Lafayette, Indiana. A locomotive and two boxcars derailed due to a washout on a siding southwest side of Lafayette. ADDED 05-08-2009

1967: March 1, 1967: Rose Lawn, Indiana , Twenty-Four cars of a 71 car MONON Railroad freight train derailed, tearing up about a half mile of track.

1967: July 20, 1967 Wanatah, Indiana: several tri-levels loaded with Pontiacs derailed. Cause of the derailment was not immediately determined.  The train was traveling about 25 miles per hour. The train’s engineer was George Fox of Lafayette.  The conductor was Charles Metcalf of Chalmers. (This wreck was thought to be caused by harmonic motion. Train speed was adjusted to avoid the 14mph critical speed on jointed 39 ft rail. Frank VanBree)

1969: March 1, 1969: Rensselaer, Indiana: Ten cars, including a tanker filled with sulphuric acid and another with chloroform, derailed in a MONON Railroad freight train early today near the Rensselaer station. The derailment occurred on a curve as the 105 car train traveled south at about 40 miles per hour.  None of the five-member crew from Lafayette was hurt. The acid tanker ruptured in the accident, but although there was an acrid odor in the air from the fumes, they were not considered harmful and residents remained in their nearby homes. ADDED 04-02-2009

1969: June 3, 1969: Abby Del, Indiana. Derailment between Abby Del and French Lick. No Injuries. ADDED 05-08-2009

1969: August 12, 1969: Lafayette, Indiana. 15 freight cars derail one mile south of Lafayette, Indiana. No injuries. ADDED 05-08-2009

1969: October 2, 1969: Lafayette, Indiana. 22 cars of a northbound freight train derailed north of Lafayette. A broken wheel was the cause of the accident. No injuries. 200 feet of track were torn up. ADDED 05-08-2009

1969: November 18, 1969: Indianapolis, Indiana: 20 cars of a southbound MONON freight derailed at 6:55a.m. at East 75th and Westfield Boulevard.

1970: January 20, 1970: Greencastle, Indiana: Two persons were killed instantly in a train-car accident on the Crow's Bridge Road at the MONON Railroad crossing northeast of Greencastle at 7:55 p.m. The train, No. 72, was en route from Bloomington to Lafayette. The engineer was R. E. Prien and the conductor was Ray Miner, both of Lafayette. The engineer said the train was traveling between 45 and 50 miles an hour at the time of the crash. The automobile was wedged on the front of the diesel locomotive. -Information courtesy Tina Watkins and the Greencastle Banner Graphic-

1970: January 20, 1970 Indianapolis, Indiana: southbound freight #91 hit an empty school bus at 73rd and Westfield Blvd; semaphores destroyed; bus driver survived.

1970: January 30, 1970: New Albany, Indiana: Train stalled in downtown due to broken airhose. No injuries. ADDED 05-08-2009

1971: October 9, 1971 Creston, Indiana: Broken wheel causes the derailment of several cars.

1975: Crawfordsville, Indiana. Wabash Avenue bridge. Derailment.

1993: August 17, 1993: Cloverdale, Indiana: Wash-out of track at MP's 187, 191, 202 (around Cloverdale to Gosport)

2005: May 12, 2005: Pekin, Indiana. Derailment on CSX. Several freight cars derail at north end of the Pekin siding. ADDED 02-25-2010

 

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