Requesting help: Identification of date and place of G.R.&I. accident in PC

[Fordlandia]

I have a "real photo" postcrad depicting a Grand Rapids & Indiana train accident.  I am hoping someone can help identify the date and place of this incident.  I have tried Google.  Although I have found a partial list of G.R.&I. accidents, I could not find a description of this winter month accident.

Thanks!

Bill

Grand Rapids, MI

[ndbprr]

go to my bio and send mean e mail.  I will give you 3 names amd e mail addresses of extremely knowledgable people all of whom live in the Grand Rapids area .  Can almost guaruntee they can answer your question.

[3rd rail]

Bill, I just checked my book titled"Michigan Rail Disasters" 1900-1940 By Mark Worrall, And Benjamin L. Bernhart. 

  I have the exact same photo on page 49 of that book. 

  The wreck occured on March 5, 1920 at Petoskey, MI. 

  Seems that there was Ice built up on the rails ( 3" according to the book), There is more detail in the book, but in a nut-shell, there were no injuries to crew or otherwise, and it was cleaned up within a day. 

Hope this helps you.. 

 

Todd 

[3rd rail]

While on the subject of G.R,&I. / P.R.R. wrecks in Michigan, I used to live in Wayland, on the line to Grand Rapids. I remember looking through the archives at the local library there and seeing an old news clipping about a northbound PRR freight derailing right in town and demolishing the depot in Wayland. ( circa 1960's)  I have never seen other documentation of that. Anyone here have any info. on that?  I used to get my hair cut at a modern building that was built on the site of the old station. Of course the young girls that did the hair had no memory of that.. And nobody in town that I knew did either. If anyone has access to the old "Wayland Globe" back-issues, I would like to get a copy of that article. 

 

Todd 

[Fordlandia]

Thank you, Todd!  Mystery solved.  It is good to know that no one was injured.

 

Bill

[Fordlandia]

Found another photo, different angle of the same wreck.  This one is dated March 12, 1920.

[Fordlandia]

I found another photo of the same accident from a different angle: