Railroad Wreck: MCRR at Botsford Yard, 1924
Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum
Michigan Central Railroad
Botsford Yard at Kalamazoo
Michigan Central passenger
train #1 was running 7 minutes late and consisted of a mail car, combination
baggage/club car, five Pullman sleeping cars, two coaches and two more Pullman
sleeping cars. It was traveling 50-60 m.p.h. The engine was 8338, a
K-3 Class 4-6-2 Pacific tyoe steam locomotive. About 4:30 a.m. the fireman
called a clear automatic block signal to the engineer about a mile east of the
crossing. The train then hit the car. The engine tipped on its right
side and was badly damaged. 550' of track were torn up. The cars
remained upright, but 3-4 were damaged badly. The fact that the cars were
of the all-steel type was credited with saving lives of the passengers.
The Engineer was scalded to death by escaping hot water and steam when pipes
within the cab burst. The fireman broke his shoulder and arm.
Photos are from the Ben Higdon Collection.
