Steam & Excursion > SP 745 at Paisano Pass

Before sunrise on July 8, 1921, engineer William Francis Bohlman was at the throttle of the brand new SP No. 745 on his regular run from his home in Sanderson to Valentine. In the cab with him at departure was fireman Charles F. Robinson. As the train approached Paisano Pass, the locomotive came to a halt and suddenly exploded. Engineer Bohlman was killed. Robinson was found alive, unconscious but without apparent serious injury, four miles away. The mangled engine cab flew 200 yards away, while the 80 metric ton boiler landed upside-down about 30 feet from the wheel chassis, which remained perfectly in place on the track.  Remains of 745 were sent to Algiers for complete rebuilding.

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I am not sure the state of affairs in 745 these days.

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How did the fireman end up four miles away?

 

I would assume the blast sent him a short distance then he manged unconsciously the rest of the distance.  My thoughts.
Blaine
American Fork

BlaineM Wrote:
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> I would assume the blast sent him a short distance
> then he manged unconsciously the rest of the
> distance.  My thoughts.
> Blaine
> American Fork

Thanks, that is what I am thinking.

I wonder where the head brakeman was? Riding a car to avoid the heat of the steam locomotive cab?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/23 09:49 by ts1457.

I read about this a few years ago.  Note the track is dented into the road bed where the engine exploded.  That was mentioned in the story I read.

ts1457 Wrote:
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> How did the fireman end up four miles away?
>
>  

I'm willing to bet that he jumped.

PHall Wrote:
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> ts1457 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > How did the fireman end up four miles away?
>
> I'm willing to bet that he jumped.

Other than seeing the water get low, one would not have any warning of an explosion.

Southern Railway had a boiler explosion around Toccoa GA in 1944. The engineer did not stop for water when the fireman thought he should. When the fireman believed that the inevitable was coming, he got on the tender and crouched down behind the slope sheet. After a few minutes without an explosion, he peeked over the slope sheet just as the explosion occurred. He survived but went through the rest of his life with coal dust embedded in his face and neck.

Regarding the Paisano Pass boiler explosion, what about the news reports of the time that the engineer had a bullet wound to his head and that the fireman was arrested for his murder?  (I am not currently subscribed to Newspapers.com so I can't look up any later-on reporting).

ts1457 wrote:

> I wonder where the head brakeman was? Riding a car to avoid the heat of the steam locomotive cab?

One news report stated the head brakeman was about five car-lengths back from the locomotive when the explosion occured.

In those days, brakemen normally rode the tops of cars on grades.

 



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/23 20:02 by johnsweetser.

johnsweetser Wrote:
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> Regarding the Paisano Pass boiler explosion, what
> about the news reports of the time that the
> engineer had a bullet wound to his head and that
> the fireman was arrested for his murder?  (I am
> not currently subscribed to Newspapers.com so I
> can't look up any later-on reporting).
>
> ts1457 wrote:
>
> > I wonder where the head brakeman was? Riding a
> car to avoid the heat of the steam locomotive
> cab?
>
> One news report stated the brakeman was about five
> car-lengths back from the locomotive when the
> explosion occured.
>
> In those days, brakemen normally rode the tops of
> cars on grades.

Appreciate the info about the brakeman. I don't know how to take that about the possible murder.

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:

> The mangled engine cab flew 200 yards away, while the 80 metric ton boiler landed upside-down about 30 feet from the wheel chassis ...

In the U.S. in 1921, who used the unit "metric ton" for weight? (even today, it is sort of an odd way to describe weight)
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/23 01:23 by johnsweetser.

I'm surprised the lightly graded and ballasted track as shown was part of SP's southern transcontinental mainline.