On Saturday, July 19 we attended the Danville, PA Iron Heritage Festival. We rode the first train from Danville to Bloomsburg. When returning to Danville, the train stopped about 1/2 mile from the boarding location and the next train, Danville to Northumberland, was cancelled.

I was told the cancellation was due to "an incident on the tracks," but no details were provided.

Does anyone know what happened?

Yes, unfortunately.

Two stories on the incident posted at the "Flimsies" section here:

http://www.rypn.org/flimsies/

Essentially, a suicide, or at the very least a fatal accident at the boarding area.

I'm from that area and am monitoring the accurate and trustworthy news sources for details.

We understand the coroner has since ruled the incident a suicide.

It occurred in the vicinity of the Rooney Avenue crossing – a small north-south trending street paralleling Continental Blvd (SR 54) to the west and Mill Street (the main downtown thoroughfare closed off for vendors, festivities, etc.) to the east.

My wife and I were in town for the festival and spoke with local law enforcement personnel shortly after the incident. We understand that the engine moved west of Mill Street to aid boarding. The individual reportedly put his head on the track – the train could not stop in time. We also understand the individual was a 21-year old male from Virginia.

Local fire and emergency responders quickly blockaded the site with their equipment, effectively sealing the area off from crowds walking about Mill Street. I recall crossing guards remained down blocking Mill Street for the longest time while train boarding activities eventually resumed about a block to the east. Westbound trains to Northumberland could not pass through the incident area; however, eastbound trains to Bloomsburg apparently operated throughout the afternoon.

The numerous media reports I read indicated that the two trips after the unloading of the first trip, one to Northumberland and a second to Bloomsburg--were cancelled as a result of the incident. There should have been no other trains, passenger or freight, running on the line.

The suicide theory is holding up; the victim had been discharged from a nearby hospital after a week's psychiatric observation stay.