Michigan train wreck
| Date | August 9, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Time | 7.22 p.m. |
| Location | Michigan City, North Dakota |
| Country | United States |
| Operator | Great Northern Railway |
| Type of incident | Rear collision |
| Cause | Failure to protect lead train |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Deaths | 34 |
| Injuries | 309 |
The Michigan train wreck was the worst rail disaster in both North Dakota and Great Northern Railway history. It happened on August 9, 1945, at Michigan, North Dakota, and involved Great Northern's premier train, the Empire Builder.
Due to heavy patronage during World War II the Empire Builder ran in two sections, known as First 1 and Second 1. On the fateful day both sections were hauled by Baldwin built GN S-2 4-8-4 steam locomotives. When the trains departed St. Paul Union Depot they were twenty minutes apart. They travelled to Fargo via Willmar.
After a crew change, First 1 left Fargo at 3:25 that afternoon headed by locomotive No.2584, carrying 237 passengers in eleven cars, mostly Pullman sleepers. Second 1 comprised eleven coaches hauled by locomotive No.2588. It carried between 600 and 700 people. The trains were under the control of the Office of Defense Transportation (ODT) and most passengers were military personnel and their families. Automatic Block Signal (ABS) protection was in place up to Fargo but not on the section beyond, via Grand Forks and Surrey to Minot. On departing Grand Forks there was thirty minutes between the trains; but four miles west of Niagara the brakeman on First 1 reported smoke coming from the tender, a hot box (overheated journal bearing) was discovered and repacked, and a water line fixed to supply water to cool the journal. First 1 stopped again at Petersburg to check the journal and adjust the hose. All the time Second 1 was gaining on it.
...
Wikipedia