Frankford Junction train wreck
Encyclopedia
The Frankford Junction train wreck occurred on September 6, 1943 when Pennsylvania Railroad
's premier train, the Congressional Limited crashed at Frankford Junction
in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in the United States, killing 79 people and injuring 117 others.
, normally making one stop in Newark, New Jersey
, covering the 330 miles in 3½ hours at speeds up to 80 mph, remarkable at the time. As it was the Labor Day Weekend in 1943, the company laid on 16-car trains to accommodate the expected high demand. At Washington's Union Station
on Monday, September 6541 passengers boarded the 4 p.m. train, its 16 cars hauled by PRR GG1
electric locomotive
number 4930, scheduled to travel non-stop to Pennsylvania Station
, New York.
ahead of schedule and slowed its speed, but shortly afterward, as it passed a rail yard, workers noticed flames coming from a journal box on one of the cars (a condition known as hot box
) and rang the next signal tower at Frankford Junction, but the call came too late. Before the tower man could react, disaster struck as the train passed his signal tower at 6:06 pm traveling at a speed of 56 mph: the journal box on the front of car #7 seized and an axle snapped, catching the underside of the bogie
and catapulting the car upwards. It struck a signal gantry, which peeled off its roof along the line of windows "like a can of sardines". Car #8 wrapped itself around the gantry upright in a figure U. The next six cars were scattered at odd angles over the tracks, the last two cars remained undamaged, bodies of the 79 dead lying scattered over the tracks. As it was wartime, many servicemen home on leave were aboard who helped the injured, workers from the nearby Cramp's shipyard
arrived with acetylene torches to cut open cars to rescue the injured, a process that took until the following morning. The rescue work was directed by mayor Bernard Samuel
. The work of removing the dead was not complete until 24 hours after the accident.
Among the survivors was Chinese author Lin Yutang
.
, had an identical cause.
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....
's premier train, the Congressional Limited crashed at Frankford Junction
Frankford Junction, Pennsylvania
Frankford Junction is a railroad junction, and former junction station, located on the border between the Kensington and Port Richmond neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States, killing 79 people and injuring 117 others.
Train
The Congressional Limited traveled between Washington D.C. and New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, normally making one stop in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, covering the 330 miles in 3½ hours at speeds up to 80 mph, remarkable at the time. As it was the Labor Day Weekend in 1943, the company laid on 16-car trains to accommodate the expected high demand. At Washington's Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
on Monday, September 6541 passengers boarded the 4 p.m. train, its 16 cars hauled by PRR GG1
PRR GG1
The PRR GG1 is a class of electric locomotives that was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad for use in the northeastern United States. A total of 140 GG1s were constructed by its designer General Electric and the Pennsylvania's Altoona Works from 1934 to 1943....
electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
number 4930, scheduled to travel non-stop to Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
, New York.
Accident
Everything appeared in order as the train passed through North Philadelphia stationNorth Philadelphia (SEPTA Regional Rail station)
North Philadelphia, formerly Germantown Junction Station, is a railroad station on the Northeast Corridor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is an above-ground station at 2900 North Broad Street in the city's North Philadelphia section...
ahead of schedule and slowed its speed, but shortly afterward, as it passed a rail yard, workers noticed flames coming from a journal box on one of the cars (a condition known as hot box
Hot box
A hot box is the term used when an axle bearing overheats on a piece of railway rolling stock. The term is derived from the journal-bearing trucks used before the mid 20th century. The axle bearings were housed in a box that used oil-soaked rags or cotton to reduce the friction of the axle...
) and rang the next signal tower at Frankford Junction, but the call came too late. Before the tower man could react, disaster struck as the train passed his signal tower at 6:06 pm traveling at a speed of 56 mph: the journal box on the front of car #7 seized and an axle snapped, catching the underside of the bogie
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
and catapulting the car upwards. It struck a signal gantry, which peeled off its roof along the line of windows "like a can of sardines". Car #8 wrapped itself around the gantry upright in a figure U. The next six cars were scattered at odd angles over the tracks, the last two cars remained undamaged, bodies of the 79 dead lying scattered over the tracks. As it was wartime, many servicemen home on leave were aboard who helped the injured, workers from the nearby Cramp's shipyard
William Cramp and Sons
thumb | upright | 1899 advertisement for William Cramp & Sons William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1825 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder in the 19th century. The American Ship & Commerce Corporation bought the yard in 1919 but closed...
arrived with acetylene torches to cut open cars to rescue the injured, a process that took until the following morning. The rescue work was directed by mayor Bernard Samuel
Bernard Samuel
Bernard "Barney" Samuel was a Republican Pennsylvania politician who served as mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1941 to 1952....
. The work of removing the dead was not complete until 24 hours after the accident.
Among the survivors was Chinese author Lin Yutang
Lin Yutang
Lin Yutang was a Chinese writer and inventor. His informal but polished style in both Chinese and English made him one of the most influential writers of his generation, and his compilations and translations of classic Chinese texts into English were bestsellers in the West.-Youth:Lin was born in...
.
Enquiry
In total, 79 passengers died, all from cars #7 and #8, and 117 were injured, some seriously. The enquiry quickly established the overheated journal box as the cause of the accident, but railroad mechanics who had inspected and lubricated the box earlier that day swore it had been in good order. Normal practice was for signal towermen to watch passing train wheels for signs of problems and for train crew to look back as trains rounded curves. How this hot box escaped attention until too late has never been explained.Similar accidents
This was not the first accident in which an overheated journal box caused an axle to break so derailing a train, in fact the first ever train wreck involving passenger fatalities, the Hightstown rail accidentHightstown rail accident
The Hightstown rail accident occurred on the Camden and Amboy Railroad between Hightstown, New Jersey and Spotswood on 8 November 1833, just two months after horses were replaced by steam locomotives on the line...
, had an identical cause.
External links
- September 6, 1943 - The Wreck of the Congressional Limited at Philadelphia, Pa
- Philadelphia, PA Congressional Limited Train Wrecks, Sep 1943
- The Milwaukee Sentinel Sep 7, 1943 Limited Splits in Two on Curve, Many Killed
- ICCInterstate Commerce CommissionThe Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
Investigation No.2726
Further reading
- The Derailment of the Congressional Limited, Pennsylvania's Worst Railroad Disaster by Benjamin L Bernhart, publ Outer Station Project 2007, ISBN 1891402080