I have a picture that was labelled as being shot in 1937 of a train wreck near Folsom New Mexico. I googled the crash and found what happened. There were two wrecks in the area. One was near Clayton/Texline in 1937. The Folsom wreck occured in 1938. It was a result of dispatcher error. He didn't doulble check his orders before they were sent. Had he done so, the wreck might not have happened. I was unable to find precrash pictures of the locomotives involved. They are the C&S 354 and the C&S 5206. When I googled C&S motive power, all I got was the narrow gauge stuff. What wheel arrangement were they? Were they scrapped then or rebuilt? Thanks for any info or pointers you might have.

The 354 was a light 4-6-2, which met leased CB&Q 2-8-2 5206 head on at Folsom, New Mexico on February 16, 1938. Both engines were scrapped afterward, but the 354's frame was salvaged to be applied under the 350, which had previously been in a bad wreck (bridge collapse) at Cole Creek, Wyoming in 1923. Though the 350 had been rebuilt at the Joint Shops in Denver, its patched frame caused problems, so the 354's frame was applied in a later shopping. The 5206 was scrapped in May 1939. A small piece of the 354's boiler plate may remain as a plaque at the American Legion post in Trinidad, Colorado, as a tribute to the fireman, who was a member of that post. All this from Hol Wagner's "The Colorado Road".

Thank you sir. Do you have any pointers where I might come up with pics of these engines? I know that images of C&S standard gauge stuff is a hard find.

The reason I am asking all of this: I was going through a bunch of pictures that I have of my railroad career. I came across this picture that was taken by my great grandmother. My great grandfather was on that train. Apparently, he walked home after the wreck. It was just a matter of a few miles from the track to their home. A short time (exact time frame unknown) they returned and snapped the picture that I have of the wreck. The 5206 is upside down. The pony truck is no where to be seen. The 354 is nosed in. Teh running gear is not seen in the picture. There is a truck that is backed up to the tender of the 5206 with a man riding in the bed area. A family member is near the boiler/smoke box of the 354 in this picture.

I am guessing that the 354 was tavelling north bound towards Trinidad? The reason I am guessing this is that my great grandfather was from Trinidad and more than likelly was going back to visit family/friends there. I doubt he would have been going to Clayton or towards Texas as he had a strong dislike for Texans. I have heard this story growing up, but am finally researching it. I spent a lot of time watching coal trains through there as a young child. Too bad it was almost all cascade green by the time I got to see the tracks...

Here's the 354 at Dalhart, Texas, April 5, 1936, not too long before the wreck:

http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00006535+OP-6535

And here is one at Denver, September 1915, before its heavy rebuilding into a more modern locomotive:

http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00006532+OP-6532

There are several other online photos of it in the Otto Perry collection at the Denver Public Library.

And the 5206 at Amarillo, Texas, July 25, 1932:

http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00003892+OP-3892

Details of the accident can be found in the ICC report here - scroll to 1938 and find Colorado & Southern:

http://dotlibrary2.specialcollection.ne ... _railroads

Thank you very much!

That is exactly what I was looking for. This is going to become part of a page in our scrap book of our family's history. I will also include the report of this accident. Thanks again. If I can get this picture that I have scanned, I'll get it posted here.