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Trainwreck definition for Open Draw???
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<p>I am guessing an open draw would be an open drawbridge. However, I am not sure of the full scope of the term, drawbridge. Many railroad bridges over navigable water were swing bridges, however, some were bascule bridges, which I believe were considered true draw bridges. It might be that in a generic sense, all openable bridges were called drawbridges. </p><p>Here is an SP wreck involving an open drawbridge that was not seen until too late. Transcribed from the Railroad Gazette:</p><p>June 1890</p><p>30<sup>th</sup>, on Southern Pacific, South Pacific Coast Division, at Oakland, Cal., a passenger train consisting of engine and one passenger car of a train of three ran into San Antonio Creek, the drawbridge at that point having been opened and only partially closed. Thirteen passengers were drowned. The engineer (Dunn) and fireman jumped off and saved themselves. The danger signal in use at this place consisted of a small red flag upon a stick which was fixed upright in a sleeper between the rails on the end of the fixed span next the draw. The train approached the bridge on a curve turning to the left, and this flag is not plainly visible to the engineer until he gets within about 150 ft. of it; but in clear weather the bridge is in full view from the left-hand side of the engine for nearly a mile, and there was no excuse for the engineer not seeing that the bridge was open in this case. A witness states that this train ran side by side with another one on an adjoining track for some distance, and that the two engineers were engaged in sport, the men on the other train turning a small hose on Dunn, and the latter increased his speed to get away from the other train. The draw had been revolved to within 15 ft. of its closed position when the train struck it, and prevented the last two cars from going over. The train was running about 15 miles an hour when the engineer saw the situation and reversed his engine, which was within less than 200 feet of the draw. This accident was reported in the <em>Railroad Gazette </em>of June 6, page 400.</p>
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