Hinton Train Wreck

This travel bug is an actual piece of the track from where this train collision took place. It would like to visit caches that are train related.

The Hinton train collision was a railway accident that occurred on February 8, 1986. Twenty-three people were killed in a collision between a Canadian National Railway freight train and a VIA Rail passenger train. It was surmised that the accident was a result of the crew of the freight train becoming incapacitated, and the resulting investigations revealed serious flaws in CNR's employee practices.

The accident took place on a stretch of Canadian National Railway’s transcontinental main line, near the town of Hinton, Alberta, west of Edmonton. Nearby towns are Jasper to the west and Edson to the east. Passenger service on the line was provided by VIA Rail Canada. Slightly over half of the 100 mile (160 kilometer) stretch of track between Jasper and Edson was double-tracked, including 11.2 miles (18 kilometres) of trackage from Hargwen siding west to Dalehurst siding.

On the morning of February 8, 1986, VIA Rail’s No. 4 train was travelling from Jasper east to Edmonton on its transcontinental journey.

Canadian National Railway’s westbound train No. 413 consisted of three locomotives and 115 cars, a total of 118 units. It was 6,124 feet (1,866 metres) long and weighed 12,804 tons.

There was a three-light signal, 490 feet (150 metres) east of the switch at Dalehurst that showed three red lamps, indicating a stop. The freight did not slow down, instead jumping the switch and entering the section of single track occupied by the Super Continental. Had the Super Continental been even a minute early, it would have been past the switch at this point, but unfortunately it was not. Seconds after the freight jumped the switch, at 8:40:52 am, the two trains collided, 1,270 feet (387 metres) west of the switch. As the freight train's momentum was greater than that of the passenger train, it ploughed through the first few cars of the passenger train.

After the crash, diesel fuel spilled from the locomotives and ignited, and the locomotives, the baggage car, and the day coach were engulfed in flames. The two crew members in each of the locomotives were killed.

Eighteen of the 36 occupants of the day coach were killed. The death toll might have been higher except that the contents of a grain car were propelled on top of the car, helping to smother the fire somewhat. Had the sulphur cars, for instance, been at the front of the train, the death toll might have been higher.

The observation dome car behind the day coach suffered serious damage, and was also hit by a freight car. One of its occupants was killed. The others were able to escape either through a broken window in the dome or through the hole left by the freight car. The two sleepers following the dome car derailed and were thrown on their sides. There were no deaths in these cars, but there were several injuries. The three passenger cars at the rear of the train did not derail, but there were some injuries.

As the accident unfolded, the cars on the freight train piled up on each other, resulting in a large pile of rolling stock. The three freight locomotives and the first 76 cars of the train were either destroyed or damaged.