Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-30
Bradley Wreck


Bradley Wreck
Following is result of investigation
made by board of inquiry, consist
ing of general superintendent, gen.
eral superintendent motive power
and assistant chief engineer into
cause of deraifment of No. 10, oc-
curing at 2:15 a. M, May 20, about
two and a half miles east of Brad
ley, 5000 feet east of mile post 1893:
Train left the track on tangent
720 feet east Of a three degree curve.
Train came to stop in front of en-
gine 430 feet ahead of point of de-
railment; the short distance run and
the small damage to equipment in
dicate that train was not running at
. a. high rate of speed.
Train 81 passed this point at about
7:10 p. m. of the 2Sth and reported
a bad spot one-half mile east of
mile post No. 1893. The dispatcher
Immediately put out order to agents
on both sides of this point, reading,
bad place one-half mile east of
mile post 1893, run carefully" This
order was delivered to No. 10 at San
Ardo: also to No. 18 and tri-
weekly. which passed the point be-
tween trains 81 and 10. Engineer of
No. 10 evidently did not gauge the
location accurately, as he slowed
down for short distance, but be-
gan to get up speed when the acci-
dent occurred.
Track at this point is laid with
seventy-five-pound rail and tie
plated. The track had gravel ballast
and following the heavy rains of
this spring the tendency was for the
ballast at the end of the ties to
loosen from the churning occasioned
by trains passing over same. These
defects developed so rapidly from
time to time over the system as to
render it very difficult to maintain
the line at all places up to standard;
this being due, in great measure,
to difficulty in keeping section gangs
full handed on account of the large
demand for labor. The gang on this
particular section of track had been
short handed for several weeks,
Notwithstanding continued efforts
made to secure the full quota of
help.
Members OF the board of inquiry
inspected the track for long dis
tance each side of the point of de-
DuI WCIC uboDlC ~ lllib
any spikes whatever that could be
removed without the aid of tools.
While a spike may occasionally be
found loose in considerable
stretch of track, it cannot be prop
erly claimed that this indicates a
dangerous condition.
Honda Wreck
Following is result of investigation
made by the board of inquiry, con-
sisting of general manager, gen.
eral superintendents, superintend-
ents motive power, assistant chief
engineer, division superintendents,
master mechanics and resident en-
gineers into cause of derailment of
Mystic Shriners' special train, east
switch passing train at Honda, on
May II, at 2:3S p. M:
The line at point of derailment
was straight, laid with seventy-five-
pound rail and stone ballast, and
with roadbed of sand. Speed of the
train was high, but not higher than
the condition of the track warranted.
An examination of the east switch
of passing track showed the left
hand main track point rail in good
condition, held securely to the stock
rail- switch stand in good condition,
with no evidence of it's having been
tampered with. This section of
track was protected by automatic
signals and switch fitted with cir
cult breaker, and so adjusted as to
throw the home signal to danger,
together with the distant signal, If
the point rail fails to fit up to stock
rail within a quarter of an inch.
The last test of contact points was
made on April 20 and found to be in
proper adjustment. The signal
maintainer had passed the point of
derailment but a few hours before
the accident; making his customary
inspection, and found no defects.
The opposite of sidetrack point
rail was found by the board of in
quiry to have a small portion re-
Gently broken off close to the end,
indications being that it had been
struck a severe blow.
The actual cause of the accident
could not be determined after an
extended investigation.
The only tenable theory seems to
he that some obstruction, possibly a
shoe break, fell against the point of
the switch Just after the engine had
passed and just before the first de-
rallied wheel reached it; that this
wheel struck the obstruction, drove
it against the point, springing the
point, bending the connecting rod,
at the Same instant drawing the
other point away from the opposite
rail sufficiently for the opposite
wheel to pass behind it; that before
the next pair of wheels reached it
the obstruction had been jumped
out of position and the switch points
returned to. their normal position,
the balance OF the train passed up
the main track.
That at least one truck of the ten
der was involved is indicated by
what followed. If the baggage car
and not the tender had been de-
rallied, the coupling between them
would certainly have given way and
the engine and tender would have
run ahead of the balance of the
train most likely without derailing,
certainly without turning over the
engine. But the coupling between
engine and tender consisted of three
heavy bars, which firmly held them
together. while the tender trucks
were tearing up the track and bury
ing themselves in the sand, and
finally pulled the engine off the
track, when IL at once turned over;
the tank. torn from its trucks and
forced ahead by the cars behind,
shot over and to the right of the
engine, the coupling being then
broken.