Nostalgia & History > 32 years ago today-BM&R 425 vs. Dump Truck at Shoemakersville,PA.

On 11/7/87 BM&R 425 was southbound on the Blue Mountain & Reading with a passenger train coming through Shoemakersville,PA., when a dump truck full of mushroom soil (manure) failed to stop at the Water Street crossing. If I remember correctly, noone on the train was injured and I think that even the truck driver walked away with just a few bruises. The 425 lost it's pilot and had the front end banged up, but it was eventually repaired and put back together and looked good as new. The same cannot be said about the manure truck. It definitely came out on the losing side of this collision. This was the day that the 425 really hit the "xxit !"

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The last shot is of the wrecker with the dump truck heading southbound on Rte. 61 at Leesport,PA.

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The late Bob Wentzel was engineer and I was firing that day. My first (of 13, so far) grade crossing accident! In the second shot you can see our senior engineer, the late Chalie Kachel in his trademark light blue sweater, even drove up to see the mess! That's me sitting in the engineer's seat as well. Probably still in shock. We were very lucky we stayed on the rails in this one. Somebody was looking out for us!

Chris Bost
Leesport, PA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/19 06:27 by RBMN-ENGR.

Manure Happens!
 

That really stinks, man!

That Mack got Smacked!

Thanks for the post. I heard about it when it happened but never saw a picture!
Gonut