I think I know what explosion your grandfather was talking about. Here is a link to the LIFE magazine article that was written about it: http://books.google.com/books?id=4kgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=%22ammunition+train%22+Indiana&source=bl&ots=ripFZbDErT&sig=6boryTxT-8sqPiUl6bVbMPDXtJI&hl=en&ei=Jn5ATa-MA4Gs8AbFxJTTBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22ammunition%20train%22%20Indiana&f=false
My grandmother Bessie Campbell and my great grandfather Thomas Metcalf are pictured in the article. Both their houses were destroyed.
dennamerritt - Welcome to trains.com!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
techguy57Great info. I think I will try the Indiana Historical Society, as well. Keep the posts coming. Mike
(Mike) techguy57:
Not sure if you are familiar with the following, but some years back a gentleman named Mike Dettmers wrote a series of essays referencing his times and trials as a dispatcher on the former Milwaukee Sub (later CPR's route) called "Latta Laments".
Here is a sub link from the Haley Tower site to Mike Dettmers 'Latta Laments"
(an index and explanation?) http://www.haleytower.org/x/laments/index.html
Here is a link that discusses, and gives a small window into what some of those "Laments" were about.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cpheavyhaul/message/68
and this as well: http://indianarailroads.org/board/index.php?topic=505.5;wap2
I may be mistaken but there is a Preservation and Museum group in Terre Haute that has custody of the collection of Mike Dettmers "Latta Laments". They are at this link: www.haleytower.org that link brings you to their site for the Wabash Valley Railroader's Museum, Terre Haute @ http://www.wvrrm.org/
Hope these links help.
dennamerritt I think I know what explosion your grandfather was talking about. Here is a link to the LIFE magazine article that was written about it: http://books.google.com/books?id=4kgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=%22ammunition+train%22+Indiana&source=bl&ots=ripFZbDErT&sig=6boryTxT-8sqPiUl6bVbMPDXtJI&hl=en&ei=Jn5ATa-MA4Gs8AbFxJTTBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22ammunition%20train%22%20Indiana&f=false My grandmother Bessie Campbell and my great grandfather Thomas Metcalf are pictured in the article. Both their houses were destroyed.
Perusing the entirety of the linked issue, it was amazing to look at the advertisements - advertisements for products and companies long replaced by changing technologies. It was also enlightening to find 3 advertisements for 'railroads' - the AAR, B&O and UP each had advertisements in the issue.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.