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UP CITY OF LOS ANGELES ACCIDENT

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  • Member since
    October 2012
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Posted by ArthurL on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 1:41 AM

The two photos in the book I quoted from are attributed to the Edd H Bailey  collection.  Mr Bailey was the president of the Union Pacific Railroad from 1965-71.  He worked for the railroad all his life.  Again, the UP Historical Society would be your best source of any photos and the train consist.  The only consist I have ready access to is 1943 and things had changed by 1951.  I have also found another report of the accident in a book titled "Railroad Wrecks" by Edgar A Haine.  A number of the occupants of that rear car and others were doctors returning from an AMA conference.  At least two were killed and others tended the injured.

Art 

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Posted by fdodge on Monday, September 21, 2015 12:23 AM

Visited again last week and found the exact site. Also talked to someone at the museum in Evanston, WY and they arranged a meeting with a gentleman who was witness to the immediate aftermath when he was 15 years old at the time. 

The museum has a few file photos that show the rear car of the City of Los Angeles and the engine of the City of San Francisco and I can see clearly that the UP LA rear car was a leased NYC combimation car in NYC paint (silver).

Also was told that one of the private properties along that stretch of track thinks that a rail car is buried in their back yard. They have found a lot of debris and have found a very large buried object near the tracks. The only car that I can imagine would not be worth salvage would be the rear car of the City of Los Angeles.

Still a work in progress.

  • Member since
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Posted by Sonofahoghead on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 11:36 AM

To fdodge.

I just signed up for this site so I hope this message gets through to you and that you are still monitoring this thread.  It was just per chance that I was talking with my brother about the crash and I Googled to note the train numbers, found this board, and saw that your last post was somewhat recent.

My father was a Union Pacific engineer out of Ogden/Evanston at the time of the 102 vs. 104 crash.. and I believe he was also a local BLE union steward of some level as well.  I am not sure what his capacity was in visiting the site of the wreck, but I do have 12 photos that I am guessing he took with his own camera since they are loose in our huge family photo box.  They look to have been taken the day of, or the day after, the crash since they are removing bodies in a few of the pictures (I realize that you lost family there so I just wanted to give you a heads up on that part).  They are very clear focus, though small in print size.  If they are, in fact, his original shots, I wouldn't suppose they have ever been published or seen by anyone for decades.. though they may be print copies he received from someone else.  He is long since deceased so I can't ask him.

Anyway, I would like to share them with you but this is my first post on this site and I am not sure how to contact you directly, and I do not want to post the photos or my email address on here for public use at this time... so I will check back here periodocally to see if you respond to this post with further instructions or contact info.  I hope to see you here.

~Sonofahoghead~

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  • From: Louisiana
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Posted by Paul of Covington on Thursday, November 19, 2015 9:17 PM

   Welcome, Sonofahoghead.

   To send a message to someone, click on his avatar, and when his info comes up, click on "Start conversation."

_____________ 

  "A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner

  • Member since
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Posted by fdodge on Thursday, November 19, 2015 10:27 PM

Thanks for your reply. 

My e-mail:

dodgex5@earthlink.net

Best regards,

Frank Dodge

  • Member since
    November 2015
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Posted by Sonofahoghead on Friday, November 20, 2015 12:31 PM

Thanks for the tip, Paul.  I guess I need new glasses (or brain).

  • Member since
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  • From: Allentown, PA
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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, November 20, 2015 9:24 PM

Welcome Nah, don't kick yourself too hard.  A lot of potentionally useful functions here are neither obvious nor intuitive, nor do they work well. 

- Paul North. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
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Posted by Elizabethjill on Monday, February 20, 2017 1:31 PM
Dear Passengerfan, I realize your blog post is 12 years old but did you get any more info from your inquiry and did you finish your book? I am alos looking for more information about this accident. Thanks.

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