Western Railroad Discussion > Santa Fe Derailment

Are there any "old heads" or slueths out there who can look at these pictures on Ebay and tell when and where this happened? This was a pretty a nasty derailment--and a passenger train too!!! Now that I look at these pictures again it appears to be train # 7 or 8, so there wouldn't have been many injuries or deaths since it was a mail train.

http://cgi.ebay.com/18-Photo-Series-Lot-TRAIN-WRECK-Mountain-Pass-SANTA-FE_W0QQitemZ230297705708QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230297705708&_trkparms=39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Looks like Doublea. On the transcon between Williams and Crookton AZ. Has to be after 1960 when this cut off was built.

http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_railroads
I found this. Look under 1964 second listing. Entire report of accident listed, including pictures. Photos match up precisely.

The April 4, 1964 wreck of #123 at Doublea, Arizona. About 2:18 AM, train #123 hit a rock slide at 81 MPH. Both enginemen and a Railway-Express messenger were killed and a flagman and 32 others injured.

The train consist:
F7A 42L
F7B 37B
F7B 304A
F7B 36B
F7A 37L
Baggage
Express Reefer
3 Express Box cars
Baggage
Express Reefer
3 Baggage
4 Chair cars
2 Sleepers

The locomotives and head-end equipment all derailed and were "heavily damaged" or destroyed along with the first chair car, the second chair car derailed and was "somewhat damaged", and the third chair car which did not derail was "slightly damaged". The fourth chair car and the sleepers remained on the track.

More specifically the location is West DOUBLE A. My dispatcher friend Richard Radford Jr. had a set of these photos out at the Flagstaff Model Railroad Club one night years ago. Richard worked out of Winslow back in the 80s.