Tragedy on "small gauge" RR

Sloan · **Posted:** Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:07 pm

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

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Sun Oct 14, 2007 6:32 pm

600mm private railroad.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:20 pm

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

Bob Kutella · **Posted:** Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:49 am

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

scottychaos · **Posted:** Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:17 am

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

atsfm177 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:11 pm

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

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

scottychaos wrote:

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

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

Boyd Owens · **Posted:** Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:46 pm

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

Jeff Terry · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:18 am **Posts:** 281

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

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

Jeff Terry wrote:

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

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

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:

Quote:

"Going around a slight bend, people were trying to look, and everybody was on one side and it just tipped over," Sgt. Bill Skarupa, of the Rice County Sheriff's Office, said.

Officials say Paget jumped off the rear of the caboose and tried to keep it from tipping over but wasn't able to. The rail car fell on top of him.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:03 am

Curious update:

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

Quote:

I was invited down to a 2' gauge operation that shut down due to a fatality several years ago. The family that owns the operation is not interested in keeping it, or the operation of it. They would rather see it gone, but they are taking their time looking for buyers for the equipment, rails & switches, and M.O.W. hand tools and other equipment on the line. The depots are also up for sale when the value gets nailed down:

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.

filmteknik · **Posted:** Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:09 am

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.

RCD · **Posted:** Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:44 am

Here is a photo I found

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:36 am

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?