The Amherst Train Wreck of 1916

In 1916, three commuter trains converged on the town of Amherst, Ohio. The town was blanketed by fog and soon the three trains would find themselves involved in one of the deadliest train wrecks in Ohio history.

#train #trainwreck #disaster #train #trainwreck #ohio #railroad #history

[randytracy]

Very tragic event! Thanks for sharing this story with us! 😮😮😮

[JohnDavies-cnro]

Thanks for the story, which I'd not come across before. (I'm English. with an interest in US railroads.) Given the damage to two of the engines, particularly the one on the 20th Century, I'm surprised that the two crews survived.

If it helps, US and GB railways used similar semaphore signals, of which there were two principle types. One you mentioned, the 'distant' which usually had a distinctive shape and later, over here, was painted yellow as well. The other was the 'home' or 'stop' signal, which in GB was always red.

Depending on how the signal arms were pivoted, 'line clear' would be shown by the arm being either raised or lowered at a 45 degree angle, and showing a green light. If the signal was at danger, the arm would be horizontal, and display a red light.

However, unlike the home, a distant signal could be passed at danger - it was a warning to the crew that the next home board was set to 'danger'; they should slow down and be prepared to stop.

Over here we had various rules, including one that required an engine crew, unexpectedly held at a stop signal, to contact the signalman (tower operator) after a set few minutes' time and find out what the hold up was. It also made sure the signalman 'blocked back' as we call it, to protect the section behind the standing train - but, sadly, things didn't always happen quite that way.

Thick fog was always a nightmare - three generations of my family were railwaymen (my father a signalman) and would be called out in such conditions for 'fogging duties' - standing beside the signals with detonators (torpedoes), clipped to the track to warn a driver he was passing a signal. Cold, miserable and dangerous work, but vital for the safe operation of the line in bad weather.

[NorthcoastPatty]

Is that why the bridge, over the tracks, on N. Quarry Rd is known as "Hangman's bridge?" This is a fascinating story. Wow - Mary Pickford!!!

[kiwisunshine]

"Reduced to only singular body parts..." What chilling words. Interesting story, well told as usual! Many thanks🙂

[Fedupwithfed]

Crown Hill cemetery ....We used to hang out there as kids very nice but very creepy cemetery

[THYUNTOUCHyt]

I was actually stupid enough one day in 2022 to go climb up that embankment 75 feet from the caboose in sandstone Village to where the wreck happened. I’ve also been where the tower used to stand, I live in Lorain and I rail fan those tracks, which is now the Norfolk Southern Chicago line so I know the area well and I’ve seen pictures and heard about the wreck, but I wanted to check out the area for myself I’m surprised that the city of Amherst hasn’t gone up there and looked for artifacts like the case with the Ashtabula Trainwreck, where to this day, people are still finding artifacts from that horrible wreck. Also love your content i think this is one of the best deep dives into this wreck that anyone has done at all

[takkmoran]

Wow, fascinating story, John, tragic as it was. It amazes me though, after hearing this and thinking about the most recent train wrecks in Ohio, is that there are those who want to reduce train safety regulations. Thanks for posting this video!

[cudaguy]

I have read somewhere that Ohio contained the longest straight sections of track between the cities of Buffalo and Chicago and this is where trains made up time since they could run at speed. The three trains involved were all doing this very thing they estimated their speeds at close to 60mph for much of their run

[CrossOfBayonne]

The locomotives 🚂 that pulled the 3 trains were NYC K class Pacifics, While all the New York Central's Pacifics were scrapped a similar engine Reading & Northern 425 survives today and is the stablemate of Reading T1 2102

[Fedupwithfed]

Wow these stories are amazing to hear in such detail....I grew up in South Amherst the sandstone capital of the world !!....I've never heard of this wreck even though growing up a mere couple miles Amherst area is a great place to live and was a great place to grow now live about 30 miles Southeast 9f Amherst in the Medina Ohio area

[jeffreyandrews]

Wow, this sounds exactly like the B&M Swampscott disaster of 1956.

[RajuDas-quli]

Great video! Great story! Fatal train accidents have also occurred recently in India where I live but this story is great! This is something special and unique! In this story, I come across a passenger woman who gives birth to a child immediately after the accident and they both survive. I have never heard of this before. Never!
In confinement where brutal human misery follows, and the curse that never leaves anyone intact, this is quite unheard of. Tragedy exposes humans! What they are and what they are up to. There is no exception in this case too. Some stand till the last while some are seen stealing scalps from the dead.



Great video, John!

Have a great day!

[thisuncannyearth]

This is fascinating. As a fellow Ohio resident, I think it's beautiful that our stories are being told. The first part of your video reminded me of a math problem. Excellent videos.

[garycordle]

Thanks for the story John 👍 I remember my Aunt lived beside of the train, it would literally shake the house, then one year it went off the trax, about a 1/3 mile away WOW we ran out of the house to see what happened 👍

[Knight-of-Sarcasm]

Such a sad day for evereyone. I can be uplifted that they upgraded the rail system, but we have a long way to go to stop these wrecks from happening still.

[lillypad]

Haven't gotten a notification for your channel until today. 😢 It's been months. I'm so glad to see you again. Blessings from Michigan.

[donnaharvey]

Thank you for telling their story. Very sad 😢

[Lewman]

Thank you John for another wonderful video, about places, times and events that are not known, or have been lost to time. You videos are always a pleasure to watch, and you are a remarkable story teller. Hope everyone is doing good, keep up the great work, and God bless you all!

[randywhite]

Great job as always sad story and remember. One sultry summer morning in the year of 1918 300 men with ebony skin pulled out of Union Station 😅

[ShannonStanley]

How Intersting, that this past week, when I went to vote I wore (as I always do) my Curious History hoodie. There a Lady read out loud the name. She said she "Loved that".
I then told her she should check you out on Youtube and how you tell us about local history in Ohio.
😊😊
Where am I in Ohio?.... well just a hop, skip, and a jump from Amherst and Elyria In Lorain county . So I'm hoping she checks you out and maybe seen or will see this. 👍
Just a bit of Irony from my end, that you did this story after that recent conversation I had.