In English, Railroader's Day, celebrated on November 7th in the Republic of Mexico.

On this day in 1907, Jesus Garcia Corona saved the town of Nacozari from being obliterated, by driving a train of three burning boxcars loaded with dynamite a distance of six kilometers from the town before it exploded. He sacrificed himself without hesitation, saving tens of thousands of lives by doing so, and this day will forever be a time to honor not only him, but all the railroaders of Mexico. Please join with me in remembrance today.

Since I was a little boy, I have always looked at this legend as an example of what an engineman should be, and I've tried to live up to it as I got older. Of course, railroad heroes come from anyplace on earth that has railroads, and they can be from any craft, such as C&NW Agent/Telegrapher Kate Shelly. While the USA has multiple holidays celebrating military heroes, railroaders are not so honored. I suggest that at least the railroaders in this country should celebrate our unknown heroes, along with the better known ones, on this day every year.

Take Care & WORK SAFE

Is this fact or legend? I hope it is fact, not for the loss of life but for the sacrifice that some people will make for the good of the world.

It's BOTH fact and legend. Accounts may vary in some details, but duty to the public first, fellow employees second, and ones self last is not open to question. Look it up, PLEASE.

Find a Grave has a nice picture of the flowers and locomotive beside his grave...which is in Plaza Jesus Garcia Corona cemetery. Newspapers.com had a tantrum about my looking it up in Spanish. (Ladino would probably send it into total hysterics.)

You might try searching "Jesus Garcia Nacozari". There's a number of slightly different versions online.

And Thanks for your interest.

Today is "Day of the Railroader" once again in Mexico, and hopefully in some of the other more enlightened parts of the world. Anyplace on earth where the RyPN fraternity participates in rail preservation is to some extent Railroader's Day every day, not just November 7th. However, I personally consider railroading to be my religion, and celebrate this day every year as the holy day. Please join with me, whether or not you have the same beliefs as I do, because railroaders deserve the same respect and reverence as any of civilization's many other heroes (edited to include mention of HEROINES. Please excuse my initial oversight.) who are remembered at special times throughout the year.

Here's a youtube link to a Mexican folksong about Jesus Garcia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EysXTZsX1LI
My browser also has some other youtubes about this listed in a column on the right side of the window.

Greetings:
I have a book about him in Spanish which I found at California State Railroad Museum several decades ago. I began reading it, but it was a hard slog looking up so many words not to mention figuring out the tenses.
J.David

I know what you mean, Dave, my "social Spanish" ain't so hot, and I get by because I know the Spanish dialect for railroading, and another one for steam locomotives. It never occurred to me to search online for the English translation of the Jesus Garcia biography because I've known the story for over 60 years. Other than it was in English, I can't recall anything about where I first read it --- maybe a dedicated volume, maybe a long chapter in a railroad folklore anthology, or even which library I borrowed it from. But I bet it's available on the web or on ebay, and it would surely be faster, easier, and more accurate than struggling with a language which you don't use every day. Best of luck and thanks for a good idea.

VIVA LOS REILEROS DEL MUNDO !!! (Long live the railroaders of the world)

Thanks Sammy,
I will look up this story and try to learn more. It reminds me of the story of Kate Shelley who saved a mere 200 folks from disaster at the DesMoines River Bridge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Shelley
There are probably a few other heros and heroines who are worthy of our recognition for making a sacrifice for others and doing the right thing in regards to railroading.

You can be very sure that our ranks are, and have always been, filled with unknown heroes and heroines. Railroads couldn't function without them.

Olin, if you dig up a good Jesus Garcia link, please post it. And thanks for chiming in.

There is a version which is dual language made by a Spanish translator and a Phoenix, AZ newspaper man: I will have to hunt it up as I do not recall the exact title or authors. Not a fiction legend but as real fact. I read of it over 65 years ago when I lived in Tucson.

Harry

Title: Goodbye, Garcia, Adios.
Authors: Don Dedera & Bob Robles
1976

Harry

Gracias/Thank You, Mr Nicholls.

Here he is:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/891 ... ADa_corona

H.M. Ogle during the Johnstown flood, the unrecorded engineer who tied down his whistle and ran down the valley ahead of the wave, Kate Shelley of course, Casey Jones (sure he got himself into the trouble, but he kept everyone else out of it…There have to be a whole lot more people who showed up when it counted.