Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-20
i, C, C. DIRECTOR SAYS
BROKEN RAIL NOT The
CAUSE MAINE WRECK
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Statement Reports
Cause Cannot Be Definitely
Ascertained in M. c. r. X.
Accident Near Marion on
Jan. 20, 1926


The Interstate Commerce Com
mission March IL issued the report
of w. p. Borland, director of the
Bureau of Safety. in regard to the
investigation Of an accident which
occurred on the Maine Central Rail-
road near Marion, Me-. on January
20. 1926.
The text Of the report, in part,
follows:
ION January 90. 1926, there was
a derailment of a passenger train
on the Maine Central Railroad near
Marion, Maine, which resulted in the
death of three passengers and the
employees. The investigation of this
accident was made in conjunction
with the Public Utilities Commission
of the State Of Maine.
1.-THE accident occurred on that
part of the Eastern Division extend
ing between Washington Junction
and Calais. Maine, a distance of
101.85 miles, this being a single
track line over which trains are OPP
Grated by timetable and train or
ders, no block-signal system being
in use. Under bulletin 81 of Janu-
airy %, 1926, the speed of passen-
ger trains within this territory is
restricted to So miles an hour, while
the speed of all other trains is re-
stricted to n maximum of 20 miles
an hour. The accident occurred at
a point nearly 1 IL miles west of
the station at Marion: approaching
this point from the east the align
ment Is a succession Of tangents and
curves, followed by 1117 feet of tan
gent, and degree curve to the
left which is 991 feet in length, the
first mark of derailmept being on
this curve at point 2O9 feet from
its eastern end. The grade for west
bound trains is from 1.3O to 1.51 per
cent descending for a distance of
nearly one mile. At either end of
the curve the track passes through
cut, but practically all of the
curve Is on a fill which is about 20
feet in height at it's maximum, near
the center of the curve, where there
is stone culvert through which
passes a small brook.
Condition of Track
"The track Is laid with 60-pound
rails, 80 feet in length, rolled in 1S9S
and laid in the track in the same
year: Weber joints are used. There
is an average Of II or IS ties to
the rail length, single-spiked, and
ballasted with gravel to a depth of
about l foot. Tie plates and rail
braces were in use on the curve on
which the accident occurred
1.-The weather was clear and cold
at the time of the accident, which
occurred at 3.34 Z. NJ.
1.-The cause of this accident was
not definitely ascertained.
1.-The investigation of this accident
was complicated to considerable
extent by the derailment of extra l0l
in the immediate vicinity of the
point where train section No. Ala be-
came derailed, resulting in the pres
ence of so many fiange marks on
both sides of each rail that the
marks made by the derailed equip
ment of train second No. Ala could
not be entirely distinguished from
those made by the equipment of eX-
ira ISL. 1t is probable that the de-
railment of extra 151 accounted for
some of the damage to the track In
the way of overturned or canted
rails, but in view of the fact
that no one made any real eX-
animation of the track prior to
that time, or took any measurements
of the gauge or elevation it was I'M
possible to ascertain the extent OF the
damage caused by the equipment OF
train second No. Ala or to use that
as a basis for determining what
caused the accident. There was also
q difference of opinion among the
witnesses as to whether or not the
sleeping car had been entirely de-
rallied, but it Is believed that at some
time during the course of the derail-
ment of train second No. Ala all OF
the wheels under this car We're de-
rallied and that all of them rerailed
themselves with the exception of the
middle pair of wheels under the for
ward truck. Nothing was discovered
about this car, however, which 1t Is
thought could have contributed to
the occurrence of the accident. 1t al
so appeared that some of the wheels
under the coach which was the last
car in the train were not in the best
condition, there being worn thread
as well as a flange which approached
the condemning limit, but it was not
determined that this condition had
anything to do with the cause of the
accident.
Outside Rails Skinned
with respect to the shims, it is to
be noted that about 10 days prior to
the accident it had been necessary
for the section foreman to SHIN the
outside rail of the curve in order to
obtain sufficient elevation to allow
for the heaving of the track on the
inside Of the curve. After the acct
dent these shims, the majority of
which were not more than "a inch
err shimS, some of which were as
much as 2 inches in thickness. SHIN
ming to such an extent weakens the
track, but the result which would be
expected to follow would be the
overturning of the outside rail; this
rail, however, was not disturbed to
any appreciate extent and at the
time of this investigation was still
in service. The changing of the
shims from those not more than ga
inch in thickness raises question
as to whether there was not a low
spota t this point at the time of the
derailment of train second No. Ala.
One of the mail clerks thought he
noticed rough spot in the track but
there was nothing in the evidence of
the engine or train service employees
to indicate that the track had not
been riding smoothly or that there
was any unevenneSs either when
train first No. Ala or when the head
end of train second No. Ala passed
over the point where the cars were
derailed, while the measurements
taken on the morning after the acci-