http://www.wctrib.com/ap/index.cfm?page ... eck_return

Was this a narrow gauge line or an oversized garden railway?

If there were more details on this tragic accident, preservationists could learn what preventive measures they could add to individual museum operations.



Sloan

600mm private railroad.

I wonder how their center of gravity/loading gauge compares to say Maine gauge stuff.

600 mm comes out to about 23 5/8 inches. So a little narrower than the Maine two footers, but very close and probably both sets of equipment could run on the same track gauge.

Bob Kutella

Its the "Northfield & Cannon Valley" Railroad.
In Northfield, MN.

they have two european 600mm gauge locos:

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomo ... isplay=684 (operational)
and
http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomo ... isplay=683 (display)


Scot

Says this link is no longer available. Did anyone keep a copy of the article?

I searched the internet and found a website that had over 30 pictures of this line in operation. I believe that the newspaper report (I didn't keep a copy unfortunately) said that a caboose fell over causing the fatality. In none of the photos, is there anything resembling a caboose. There are a couple of "passenger" cars and perhaps this is what the reporter was talking about. OR, perhaps the caboose was newly built, and newly in operation. OR, the reporter just got it wrong.

In the photos, there were two depots on the line. One was the West Northfield Station and this appeared to just be a freelance design. The other was the "historic Claremont Station". This small depot looked as if it could well have been a former railroad depot. I looked up Claremont, Minnesota in the Official Guide that I have and found that Claremont, MN was shown as being served by the Chicago & North Western. My question is, is this actually the C&NW depot from Claremont? Perhaps someone who is a member of the C&NW Historical Society might know.

Les

Try these links for all the info on the accident:
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_7179794?nclick_check=1
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=267289
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1484405.html

This was the fourth year that I'd been to the Northfield & Cannon Valley, and it was also the first time that I'd seen the caboose. The paint looked fresh. Note that it was not being pulled the steam train, but by the home-built motor car "Leaping Loon."

Jeff Terry

Jeff - Did you happen to get a photo of it, before the accident? Interesting that the "passenger cars" that they have used in the past apparently had no "tipping" problems. Did the cupola (if the caboose had one) cause it to be top heavy? Was it too wide for the gauge? Did they test it enough before letting passengers on it? Unanswered questions all.

Les

Apparently the person injured was a brakeman for the railroad. He was trying to prevent the caboose from tipping over (keep in mind this is a small gauge railway) and was trapped between the caboose and a building.

The second of the three articles contains the following info:

Curious update:

From a post on Facebook's "Abandoned Rails" group:



Location: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.455749, ... a=!3m1!1e3

Flickr page with lots of good photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/50621316@ ... 7157906781
NOTE: GO TO PAGES 2 AND 3 for photos of the O&K and Czech tank locos and Plymouth--including builder's plates.

Reposting this strictly to pass the word of a potential opportunity around to preservationists and to update these long-ago threads.

Story about the accident:

http://www.twincities.com/2007/10/14/no ... volunteer/

Homemade caboose was apparently top heavy and started to tip over on a curve. Victim jumped off and tried to prevent it from turning over but it went over anyway on top of him.

Here is a photo I found

It must have been horrible for the children who witnessed it.

My guess is the volunteer got caught between the corner of the caboose and the building? Not just the weight, but the sharp corner of the car roof probably caused some bad trauma.

Lesson to learn, how does the stability of this caboose compare to other two foot stock?