Nostalgia & History > "DERAILMENT AT HARNEY---1939

Let's look back at a very sad day in railroad history on the Southern Pacific---

On August 12, 1939 the streamliner "City of San Francisco" was deliberately derailed about 1 1/2 miles East of HARNEY, Nevada about 9:30 PM...

Many people were killed and many more were seriously injured. Many suspects were questioned over the ensuing years but the real culprit(s) were never caught.
For all of those years, probably up to the point of the SP//UP merger, the Southern Pacific had a standing reward offer of $ 25,000 to be given to those persons who provided information that would lead to the capture of those deemed guilty.

Here then are photos from the KRK Archives that show the destruction that happened on that terrible night in 1939..

Note: My late Father, Jim Shattock, was Foreman of Welding Gang # 23 (System) and their Outfit Train was stationed at or near "BEOWAWE" (sic). His gang assisted in the cleanup of this wreck!
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Cars piled up in the Humboldt River..

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A closer look at the devastation...

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Cars strewn along the river bank..

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Down in the gulley below the rail grade..

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Piled up in the river bed. A lot of the sleeping car passengers had already turned in that night..

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Diesel locomotives still upright in the Cut..

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Another scene along the river..

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The Wrecker is at work trying to clear the line and drag back the debris..
August 17, 1939. Harney, Nevada.

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Derailed locomotives in the Cut, being checked out.

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The bridge over the river that was demolished was exactly like this one.. The work train shown is the SPARKS, NV WRECKER.. The engine of this train is standing just about where the engine of the "City" came to a stop...

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Diesel locomotive of the "City" at Harney, NV at 3:30 pm on Sunday, August 13, 1939 after being re-railed. The engine was able to run on her own power..

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A close-up look at the car "CHINATOWN" ..

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This photo shows how the RAIL was spiked out-of-line, causing the derailment of the SP Streamliner, the "City of San Francisco"..

Photo taken on 8-13-39.. Harney, Nevada..

Note: The bond wires for the SIGNAL system were extended around the break so that the engineer had no warning of any danger ahead..


This completes our photo story of this terrible tragedy...

KRK...

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The book "Tragic Train: The City of San Francisco" by Donald P. Denevi (1977) ends with the statement that the authorities had a pretty good idea who did it but never had the evidence to bring charges. As this person is presumably now deceased maybe someone can elaborate on who the wrecker was and why (s)he did it.

Great stuff Ken, thanks. My understanding is that this case is still open, is that true?

The case is STILL OPEN as far as I know.
After the merger of SP//UP in 1996, I don't know if the UPRR kept the case open or not. Of course, the FBI still might show it open.

The derailment of the SUNSET on Amtrak in Arizona a few years back was a COPYCAT of the Harney, NV derailment.

Train on a curve, on a bridge over a river or dry wash, rails tampered with, signals strapped out, etc...
Never pinned THAT one on anyone either..
Strange, huh??

KRK

Thank You for the photo's
I have been to the site 4 times The changes the
railroad have made are very dramatic
Complete fill no more bridge #4
The river is now between the mains
also the tunnel on the east main has been daylighted
The way in to the site is not for the meek
It is a long gravel or dirt road
when you get close it still is a 1 1/2 mile
walk.
The local's still call it" STREAMLINER CURVE "
Every 8/12 I post the poem I wrote .
And last the wreck of # 2 west of Phoenix
was a copycat sabotage.
Rick

Supposely the evidence was kept in the basement of One Market St. Jamie Schmid has a great shot of a w/b SP freight in the 90s on Streamliner Curve which he had to hike into. I understand they diverted the Humboldt River and made Streamliner Curve into a fill curve.

Here's a link to more recent views of the area:

http://www.elkorose.com/harney.html

Hasn't changed much since I was out there about eight years ago or so...

When I was firing for George McCarron, he showed me a copy he had of the AX. As far as I know its still open and the reward is still out there. You are right, the one at Hyder with Atk was a copy cat.

Nudge