Doodlebug Disaster
Encyclopedia
The Doodlebug Disaster was a railway accident that occurred on July 31, 1940, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
in the United States. A Pennsylvania Railroad
, gasoline
powered 'Doodlebug
' rail-car collided head-on with a freight train
, the impact and resulting fire caused the deaths of all but three of the 46 on board.
/Electro-Motive. It had departed Hudson
at 5:49 pm on its usual 13 miles (20.9 km) run south to Akron
on a warm summer evening. At the same time a freight train comprising 73 freight cars hauled by two locomotives was traveling from Columbus
to Cleveland
departed Arlington in Akron heading north.
to allow the freight to pass through the single track section of rail at that point; but instead it continued southwards. Although both trains braked their combined speed was 55 mph (24.6 m/s) when they collided at 5:58 pm. The engineer, conductor and a railroad employee managed to jump free, though they were badly injured; but no-one else on the Doodlebug survived. As the lead freight engine telescoped 12 feet (3.7 m) into the railcar, its 350 gallons (1,324.9 l) gasoline tank ruptured and sprayed the interior of the coach with burning gas, as the Doodlebug was pushed over 500 feet (152.4 m) up the track by the momentum of the heavy freight train (which remained on the track); "flames shooting out twenty-five feet [7.6 m] in all directions. The medical examiner determined that only nine passengers were killed on impact, the rest were burned to death. Firemen fought the blaze for 45-minutes but it would be several hours before the bodies could be removed; most required saws to separate them from the seats to which they had been burned by the flames. Ambulances soon gathered at the scene but there were only the three railroad employees to take to hospital; instead they took the charred bodies to funeral homes.
In 2005 a memorial monument was erected near the site of the disaster on its 65th anniversary. The memorial was the result of a school project by three 13-year-olds at Sill Middle School, which led a fund raising campaign to establish a permanent memorial to those killed in the disaster.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in the United States. A Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
powered 'Doodlebug
Doodlebug (rail car)
In the United States, doodlebug was the common name for a self-propelled railroad car . While such a coach typically had a gasoline-powered engine that turned a generator which provided electricity to traction motors, which turned the axles and wheels on the trucks, versions with mechanical...
' rail-car collided head-on with a freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
, the impact and resulting fire caused the deaths of all but three of the 46 on board.
Trains
The 'Doodlebug' concerned, No.4648 was a self propelled gas-electric rail-car; using gasoline to power its traction motors and was built in 1928 by PullmanPullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
/Electro-Motive. It had departed Hudson
Hudson, Ohio
Hudson is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 22,262 at the 2010 census. It is an affluent exurban community and is part of the Akron, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area...
at 5:49 pm on its usual 13 miles (20.9 km) run south to Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
on a warm summer evening. At the same time a freight train comprising 73 freight cars hauled by two locomotives was traveling from Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
to Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
departed Arlington in Akron heading north.
Collision
Within ten minutes both had met with disaster; the Doodlebug should have pulled into a siding at Silver LakeSilver Lake, Ohio
Silver Lake is a village in Summit County, Ohio, United States of America. It is an affluent suburb of Akron and is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,019 at the 2000 census...
to allow the freight to pass through the single track section of rail at that point; but instead it continued southwards. Although both trains braked their combined speed was 55 mph (24.6 m/s) when they collided at 5:58 pm. The engineer, conductor and a railroad employee managed to jump free, though they were badly injured; but no-one else on the Doodlebug survived. As the lead freight engine telescoped 12 feet (3.7 m) into the railcar, its 350 gallons (1,324.9 l) gasoline tank ruptured and sprayed the interior of the coach with burning gas, as the Doodlebug was pushed over 500 feet (152.4 m) up the track by the momentum of the heavy freight train (which remained on the track); "flames shooting out twenty-five feet [7.6 m] in all directions. The medical examiner determined that only nine passengers were killed on impact, the rest were burned to death. Firemen fought the blaze for 45-minutes but it would be several hours before the bodies could be removed; most required saws to separate them from the seats to which they had been burned by the flames. Ambulances soon gathered at the scene but there were only the three railroad employees to take to hospital; instead they took the charred bodies to funeral homes.
Investigation
The Doodlebug engineman survived and was able to recall receiving orders at Hudson to take the siding at Silver Road but he was unable to recall passing the siding. The investigation considered the possibility that the engineer could have been "under the influence of carbon monoxide poisoning with a resultant temporary impairment of mental faculties but not be wholly unconscious", which would explain his behavior. The driver had complained of fumes in the cabs on previous occasions. No charges were held against him.Memorial
41.14526°N 81.47328°WIn 2005 a memorial monument was erected near the site of the disaster on its 65th anniversary. The memorial was the result of a school project by three 13-year-olds at Sill Middle School, which led a fund raising campaign to establish a permanent memorial to those killed in the disaster.