Nostalgia & History > Locomotive And Train Stopped By Worms

Locomotive And Train Stopped By Worms.—The Charleston Patriot contains the following remarkable story.

On the completion, a few days since, of the railway, on the Trestle and Bridge over the Congaree Swamp, and river, a general migration of the Caterpillars of Richland, took place towards the St. Mathews shore. An army of worms, occupying in solid column, the iron rail for upwards of one mile, presented, as was supposed, but a feeble barrier to the power of steam. A locomotive with a full train of cars loaded with iron, and moving at a speed of from ten to twelve miles an hour, was arrested, notwithstanding at midway in the swamp by these insects, and through the agency of sand alone, freely Distributed on the drawing wheet, was it able to overcome them. It was a sanguinary victory in which millions were crushed to death; though the caterpillars maintained their ground and enjoyed a triumph in resting for a brief period, even the power of the locomotive.

From American Railway Journals and Mechanics Magazine - 1843


This took place on the South Carolina Rail Road
more the South Carolina Rail Road on my website http://carolinarails.org/railroads/scrr/prior/scrr-prior.html

Tom Daspit
Morgan Hill, CA
Tom's Trains

Tumbleweeds, rime, midges and several other things can cause a train to lose traction.

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS

Grease!

Take Care, Stay Safe, Have Fun!

Larry

I recall the tale of a PNW logging railroad that ran into this problem, and it lasted for several days. They resolved it by installing steam jets in front of the pilot wheels, and blowing 'em off!

And this, Virginia, is why we have sanders. :)

Thanks for sharing!

-Eric

If this happened today, the EPA would have the railroaders arrested for killing the little critters.

PETA would be outraged!

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> PETA would be outraged!

Who?

D'ya mean People Eating Tasty Animals?

Why would THEY be outraged?

I'm not sure the EPA would be involved but someone would. In some parts of the country traffic is stopped for a mass migration of salamanders, frogs and toads crossing roads IIRC.


wjpyper Wrote:
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> If this happened today, the EPA would have the
> railroaders arrested for killing the little
> critters.

The Southern Pacific lost part of their first Contra Costa train ferry dock at Port Costa, CA. It was lunch for the 1/2 inch long toredo (ship worm). One morning, around 10am, a 400' wing of dock just broke away and floated with the outgoing tide water. 400 feet! All at once.

Thomas

I recall reading a story of a similar occurance at Broncho, NM on Santa Fe's Belen Cutoff west of Mountainair. It's not the first place you'd expect to find abundant life forms, but apparently rails coated with inchworms were enough to bring things to a grinding (squishing?) halt on at least one occasion back in the steam era.