Naperville wreck 1946

[Soo2610]

The Chicago Tribune in their coverage of yesterdays Metra derailment mentioned a fatal wreck in Naperville in 1946 when a CB&Q express train plowed into the back of a train that had made an unscheduled stop in Naperville. Does anyone know anything about this wreck? I have never heard anything about it prior to today. Back in 1946 Naperville wasn't much more than a widespot in the prairie.

[eolafan]

The 1946 wreck in Naperville had the Advanced Exposition Flyer making an unscheduled stop in Naperville when the (regular) Exposition Flyer came up behind it and rear ended it doing something like 70 per (not exactly sure of the exact speed). They blamed the wreck on the conductor/flagman on the Advacned Expo Flyer not properly flagging the rear of his train. If you have ever been at Naperville station you will have noticed that the tracks leading westbound before the station are on a rather significant grade and curve so the westbounders don't see what's at the station until they are right on top of them. The wreck happened right in front of the Kroehler furniture factory (today a "mall" with condos and restaurants) and not right in front of the station which is about 100 feet further west. Many were killed and injured.

[Anonymous]

Also prior to 1952, many of the commuter trains only ran to Downers Grove where there was a small yard including a turntable and loco service facilities. Commuter service to Naperville and Aurora was much more limited.

Maybe Eolafan knows the answer, but I've always wondered how and when the triple track was built west of Downers Grove. In many photos from the 30's & 40's, the southern-most track appears to be in much poorer shape than the north pair. In many places there's also significant seperation between them. Unlike virtually every other commuter station on the Q, the old Lisle station was on the north side of the tracks.

[eolafan]

Thanks for your expression of confidence in my knowledge up829, but I am not sure of the answer to your question, but perhaps there is an "old timer" amongst us that can answer this.

[jchnhtfd]

try http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_railroads for the report

[eolafan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd

try http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_railroads for the report

[B)]What does "Educating Minnesota" have to do with a 1946 accident on CB&Q in Naperville....that's where your link led me when I clicked on it.

[CShaveRR]

I do know that the wreck in Naperville is responsible for the fact that the CB&Q/BN gallery commuter cars were much heavier--with stronger underframes--than the cars built for the other Chicago-area commuter lines.

[eolafan]

The 1946 wreck did not involve commuter cars, but your supposition makes sense.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I did read somewhere that the fallout from that wreck is the reason that CB&Q gallery coaches were built with heavier underframes. The first galleries were delivered to CB&Q in 1950. Even now, heavier frame coaches for the Aurora line are in a separate pool from the rest of Metra's equipment.

[jchnhtfd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd

try http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_railroads for the report

[B)]What does "Educating Minnesota" have to do with a 1946 accident on CB&Q in Naperville....that's where your link led me when I clicked on it.

[xx(] It did? worked OK for me... except that you then have to click on 1946, and find the particular accident -- it's the only CB&Q report that year.

Danged internet anyway...[:(]

[jimrice4449]

The cause of the Naperville wreck was the practice "Q" engineers had od "riding the yellow". It was a high speed main with traffic tending to cluster at certain times of the day. Engineers would approach a signal displaying yellow at track speed and try to time it so it went from yellow to green just before they got to it. It was assumed that the engineer on the Exposition Flyer guessed that he hit the signal a little early and just reduced speed to where he would hit the next signal just as it went from yellow to green. Oops! When he got to the next signal it was red and just beyond it sat the Advance Flyer. This accident was one of the reasons the ICC put a maximum of 99MPH into effect a year or so later.

[eolafan]

While most of the rest of this line is fairly straight and sometimes you can see trains coming for up to four or five miles away, this curve has come to mind from time to time as a potential problem. When I sit by the crossing near the station sometimes and listen to my scanner I hear the defect detector comes alive it sometimes takes only a matter of seconds between the defect detector "talking" and the train coming through the crossing, but you don't see the train until about five seconds before it reaches the crossing if it is an express Metra train westbound and not stopping at Naperville...this always makes me think of the 1946 wreck...kinda scary.

[Soo2610]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

I do know that the wreck in Naperville is responsible for the fact that the CB&Q/BN gallery commuter cars were much heavier--with stronger underframes--than the cars built for the other Chicago-area commuter lines.

[8)]Thanks for the information guys. Have never come across any information on this wreck in the books i've read. Also was not aware that they were running heavier underframed cars on this line. Have been in Naperville once or twice but have never been near the station.

[eolafan]

"Have been in Naperville once or twice but have never been near the station."

Y'all come on down sometime, ya hear...the Naperville station is a wonderful place to spend a few hours trainwatching, especially on weekends when platform traffic is less hectic (but can still be heavy when weekend Metras come into town). You'll enjoy it.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

As any of the professionals in these forums will vouch, riding the yellow is a dangerous habit that can occur just about anywhere. There have been several rear-end collisions that were a result of this practice, Naperville may have been the worst.

[DPD1]

Interesting stuff... I use to sit for hours at Naperville, and had never heard the story of the accident. I can understand how it happen though.

Dave
-DPD Productions - Featuring the TrainTenna LP Gain RR Scanner Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/

[Soo2610]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SDR_North



Try this Link for the 1946 Incident CB&Q.

http://dotlibrary.specialcollection.net/

Click on 5th Entry for ICC to 1946 to CB&Q.

Thanks for the link. It pretty well tells the story