Nostalgia & History > Cobden Curve On Days Good And Bad

The curve at Cobden, Illinois, has always been a popular photo location on the Illinois Central Railroad's Centralia District.  The location is at milepost 323, with southbound trains being well lit in the afternoon whether viewed from the curve itself, where trains approach the curve on a long tangent, or viewed from a highway bridge just south of the curve.  Southbound trains are also working upgrade at the location, and trains have been known to stall and have to double the hill.

In these three photos we the good.

#1 - Mountain #2301 leads a southbound as seen from the U.S. 51 bridge.  With the consist heavy in head-end traffic, I am guessing this is #25, the Southern Express.  This photo was taken by a company photographer, likely for an article on the St. Louis Division in the Illinois Central's magazine.

#2 - E8A #4018 leads #1, the southbound City of New Orleans, around the curve in January, 1960.  The photo was taken by J. Parker Lamb, and steam had been gone less than a year from this part of the railroad.

#3 - In a view from the other popular vantage point on the curve, former B.N. SD40-2 #6112 leads SD40 #6015 as Decatur to Cairo symbol DECA grinds its way up the hill.  I took this shot on March 13, 1998.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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And now we roll the bad and the ugly into one.

The curve at Cobden was the scene of tragedy on the morning of December 2nd, 1973, as northbound MS-8 hit southbound SE-1 head-on on the curve.  These photos of the aftermath of the wreck were given to me by a local resident whose husband had taken them that afternoon; the wreck took place at 6:45am.

MS-8 was running northbound on the southbound main, having crossed over several miles to the south at Anna due to a bridge damaged by flooding during heavy rains earlier in the week.  The train was supposed to cross back over using a hand-thrown crossover in Cobden, just south of the overpass.  For whatever reason, the head end crew failed to stop and use the crossover and kept moving at a speed of approximately 25 miles per hour.  SE-1 was easing up the hill, the crew expecting to see MS-8 on the northbound main.  The wreck happened less than 4,000 feet north of the crossover MS-8 had been ordered to use.

Four of the five men on the locomotives were killed in the collision.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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Did the spur track going off to the left in the first two photos go to the Cobden school?  Sure miss the 6000's and 6100's...  Thanks for a taste of Appleknocker country.

IC1038west.

I never saw that spur in place, so the shots that showed it initially confused me as to its location.  Looking at Google Maps today, you would never guess the spur was ever there.

I'm not sure where the spur went.  I would guess it went to a business of some sort; I see no reason it would go to a school.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Love the fake smoke in photo one.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Thanks for the major incident shot.  Some major assets lost in that wreck, people and mechanical.  Even though it is single main at MP323 now, the reverse curve at Cobden still a serious reminder of half the distance, stopping short of.......   Thank you very much for the post, Mary.

IC1038west.

Nice spot, might have to check it out sometime.
JB

Mary:  Thanks for posting these pictures and history of the area.   Here is a story in the same area.

There was a passenger train derailment in this area in either 1967 or 1968.  Not sure if it was Cobden, but it was located in this area, south of Carbondale.  I was aboard No 4 the "Louisanne" from Memphis to Chicago which was an overnight train at the time.  Southbound No 5, the "Panama Limited" had derailed and our train pulled along side and transferrred its passengers back north to Carbondale.  The suspect cause of excessive speed on a curve since all the cars careened off to the west side of the main track.  We came along on the adjacent main and none of the derailed cars fowled or blocked our northbound track.  I recall Office car 1 was on the head end, right behind the E units,  but ahead of the baggage car.  IC never placed a Business car on the rear of a passenger train which operated with an Observation car.

Anyone recall the exact date and details?  This incident is NOT listed in ICC Accident and Invesgation reports on line.

Thanks,  Phil

I believe that was around Makanda, but I'll have to do some digging around.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

IC1038west Wrote:
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> Did the spur track going off to the left in the
> first two photos go to the Cobden school? 

Curiosity is killing this cat.  The 1978 Condensed profile map that I have shows the spur still in place with the label "Old Orchard Homes" arrowed to the stub.  The lefthanded crossover just south of the spur in the first and second photos of the original post appeared to have been recently erased on the profile map.  It would be interesting to know when that crossover was actually removed.

I also found an old IC Circular (No. 814-A) that had businesses in Cobden listed.  They are listed as follows;

Name of Industry                  Nature of Business                  Track served
Basler, R.J.                              Feed, Grain                                   Yes
Caraker, M                               Coal                                               Yes
Dubois & Son, Inc. H.A.           Fruit Containers                             No
Egyptian Lumber Co.               Lumber, Building Materials            Yes
Metzler Orchard Co.                Fruits, Vegetables                          Yes
Peoples Fruit & Veg  Assn.     Fruits, Vegatables                           Yes
Petty Oil Co.                            Bulk Oil                                           Yes
Standard Oil Co.                      Bulk Oil                                           Yes
Union County Oil Co.               Bulk Oil                                           Yes

The circular was dated April 1, 1962; amazing how many businesses were active and had rail access at that time compared to none today in Cobden.  I'll keep digging, looking for more clues. 

IC1038west.
 

My good... and unusual at Cobden Curve (I simply call it Cobden Hill). NS #1073 and #8102 on A432.

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#2

Never in a million years would I expect 1, not only 2, of the NS heritage units to work for CN. The CN power shortage blitz of 2014 sure brought a lot of variety on the former IC...

Could have done without the ugly KCS-painted GTW SD40-3 though. A IC SD70 would have been better, or even a GTW in the red/blue paint.

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