| Tacoma Wharf Disaster 11/1894 |
On Thanksgiving eve an earth fill slides into Puget Sound causing significant damage to a portion of the Western Terminus of the NP.
| Walt Ainsworth | 1 |
| Raging River Bridge Collapse, 5/15/1900 |
Bridge across the Raging River between Preston and Falls City collapses under loaded log train. Seattle & International Locomotive No. 8 and cars fall into the canyon.
| Walt Ainsworth | 2 |
| Accident at Selah, WA, 10/1901 |
Head on collision between NP X1302W and NP X673-338E.
| Walt Ainsworth | 3 |
| Dorsey Bridge ca. 1903 |
Snowslide takes out Dorsey, Idaho, bridge leaving passenger car hanging on remaining portion of damaged bridge.
| Walt Ainsworth | 4 |
| Engine 1531 wrecked, 1907, 1909 |
Class W locomotive blew up at Plateau, MT
| Walt Ainsworth | 5 |
| Headon Collision near Dudley, WA, 5/17/1909 | | Walt Ainsworth | 6 |
| Derailment at old Stampede Between Tunnels 3 and 4, ca. 1913 |
One box car derailed, but still upright. A second car off the track and over a hill.
| Walt Ainsworth | 8 |
| NP Train 42 Stalled at Stampede, February 1916 |
NP Train No 42 with Locomotive 2184 stalled in deep snow one mile west of Stampede Pass. Train then hit by slide causing Engine, Baggage and Chair car to lean over.
| Walt Ainsworth | 9 |
| Flood East of Easton 1916 |
The Yakima River flooded east of Easton, Washington, and washed out the NP mainline in 1916.
| Walt Ainsworth | 11 |
| Engine 55 Derailed into the Carbon River, 1919 |
At about MP 3.5 on Crocker Branch near Wingate, WA.
| Walt Ainsworth | 13 |
| Derailment at Clear Lake, WA, 1925 |
W-5 locomotive No 1843 has derailed and cars jackknifed at Clear Lale.
| Walt Ainsworth | 15 |
| Engine 5107 Tipped Over in the Ditch, 3/1942 |
at Turah, MT and has struck a "Northwest" (manufacturer's name) shovel.
| Walt Ainsworth | 16 |
| GN 3214 at Lakeview, 7/24/1942 |
Sideswiping of two trains at Lakeview, WA derails GN 3214.
| Walt Ainsworth | 17 |
| Second No. 2 Derailed at "Dead Mans Curve", 11/20/1942 |
Excessive speed causes derailment on sharp curve near Baker, WA
| Walt Ainsworth | 19 |
| Collision at Auburn Yard, 8/24/1944 |
Switch engine 1268 came out and struck 1st 679, engine 1777, pushing it over on 2nd 680.
| Walt Ainsworth | 21 |
| High Load Stuck in Pacific Coast Bridge at Henrys, 1947 |
"Northwest" crane loaded on a rail car evidently struck the bridge doing considerable damage to crane.
| Walt Ainsworth | 23 |
| Derailment at Lester, ca 1949 |
Extra West had gone part way through spring switch at Lester, WA then backed up.
| Walt Ainsworth | 25 |
| Slid Wheels at Lester, WA, ca 1950 |
Brakes have been locked. Damage to the wheel makes for interesting speculation as to what happened.
| Walt Ainsworth | 27 |
| Slide at MP 8, 3rd Sub, Tacoma Div., 1950 |
Railroad crew works to reopen double track Pt. Defiance line south of Tacoma after a slide.
| Walt Ainsworth | 29 |
| Derailment at Wickersham, 9/7/1951 |
Four year boy throws switch causing derailment of northbound Sumas line train.
| Walt Ainsworth | 30 |
| Rear End Collision at Quendall, WA, April 22, 1952 |
Everett-Auburn Turn with Engine GP-7 558 struck rear of "Wooley" local.
| Walt Ainsworth | 31 |
| Derailment of GN First 671 near Steilacoom, June 7, 1952 |
Three-unit diesel GN 309 and caboose stayed on the track. Thirty one cars of the 90 car train derailed.
| Walt Ainsworth | 33 |
| Rear-end Collision near Steilacoom, NP First 679 and GN First 671, July 8, 1952 |
NP First 679 stopped behind NP 693 which was picking up cars. GN First 671 then struck rear of NP First 679.
| Walt Ainsworth | 35 |
| Flash Flood Washout between Roza and Wymer, WA, 8/10/1952 |
Sudden torrential rainfall causes washout of the mainline roadbed and other significant property damage.
| Walt Ainsworth | 37 |
| Rear-end Collision involving NP Local and GN First 672, Winlock, 9/8/1952 |
NP Centralia to Vancouver local was placing some cars on the house track at Winlock, WA. GN First 672 approaching from behind struck the rear end of the local.
| Walt Ainsworth | 39 |
| Number 675 Derailed at Acme, WA, 10/5/1952 |
Heavy rainstorms washed out the roadbed causing derailment of Auburn to Sumas Freight Train No. 675.
| Walt Ainsworth | 41 |
| Freight Train Derailment at Thorp, WA, 11/11/1953 |
X5400W derailed due to the failure of a friction journal bearing.
| Walt Ainsworth | 43 |
| Steilacoom Bridge Fire, March 28, 1954 |
Fire on Bridge 15.1 causes derailment and damage to the 23rd through 38th cars of UP 83 car freight Number 691.
| Walt Ainsworth | 44 |
| Wreck at Renton, WA, 7/4/1955 |
Transfer Crew 2, based out of Auburn, was moving backwards in Renton when they collided with the Everett to Auburn Time Freight arriving early account the July 4th holiday.
| Walt Ainsworth | 45 |
| Rear-end Collision at Centralia, NP First 680 and UP 692, 8/5/1955 |
NP First 680 struck the rear end of UP 692 at Centralia, where the UP train was to make a pickup.
| Walt Ainsworth | 47 |
| NP Engine 6500C, So. Tacoma, WA 9/9/1955, after wreck at Cheney, WA |
Head on collision on 8/15/1955 between Train No. 5, engine 6500, and X5119E at Cheney, WA damages both engines.
| Walt Ainsworth | 49 |
| UP 691 Derailed, Nisqually River Bridge, 12/2/1955 |
Photos show evidence of something dragging or derailed cars on the bridge. Fortunately nothing went over the side into the river.
| Walt Ainsworth | 51 |
| Martin Washout, 12/11/1955 and |
Mosquito Creek clogged up with ice, snow and debris diverting the stream from it's normal path to a new route following the NP readbed some distance downhill from Martin before going over the hillside washing out the westward main track.
| Walt Ainsworth | 53 |
| GN First 671 Derailed at Kyro, WA, 5/19/1957 |
A burned off journal results in derailment of 24 cars on GN First 671 at Kyro, WA
| Walt Ainsworth | 55 |
| Number 676 Derailed at MP 8, Lake Washington Belt Line, 11th Sub., 12/8/1959 |
Derailment was likely caused by a rail breaking under GP-9 no. 346, the third of five diesel units.
| Walt Ainsworth | 57 |
| Rose Bowl Wreck, Puyallup, WA, 12/29/1960 |
Train 408 with 450 passengers, many bound for the Rose Bowl, hits 15 mph switch at 49 mph at Meeker, WA derailing the diesel units and 9 of the 17 passenger cars.
| Walt Ainsworth | 59 |
| NP No. 2, The Mainstreeter, Derailed at Nelson, WA, 3/11/1962 |
Accident caused by a broken rail.
| Walt Ainsworth | 61 |
| Burned Bridge East of McCarver St., Tacoma, WA, 6/12/1962 |
Bridge no.3 on Pt. Defiance Line, 3rd Sub., Tacoma Division.
| Walt Ainsworth | 63 |
| NP Second 680 Derailed at UP Jct., Tacoma, WA, 1966 |
Several derailed tank cars. Some of them tipped over.
| Walt Ainsworth | 65 |
| Washout at MP 52.5, between Kennedy and Stampede, WA, 5/8/1969 |
Partially blocked culvert results in a washout about 250 - 300 feet long and estimated depth of 90 feet. Westward track restored 5/18/1969. Eastward track restored 5/21/1969.
| Walt Ainsworth | 67 |
| Old Stampede Washout, No Date |
Washout at Old Stampede WA between Tunnels Nos. 3 and 4.
| Walt Ainsworth | 69 |
| GN Engine No. 607 Derailed at Auburn, WA, No Date |
GN GP-7 no 607 on the ground and some badly damaged box cars.
| Walt Ainsworth | 71 |
| Copy of Old Wreck at Rainier, WA, No Date |
Milwaukee crossing the NP at Rainier. Accident results in most of a Milw passenger train landing on the ground. At least one car and parts of the trestle land on the NP.
| Walt Ainsworth | 73 |
| Wreck of UP Train #361, Engine No. 206, No Date |
Tender of engine 206 and all of the passenger cars derailed.
| Walt Ainsworth | 75 |
| Accident at Longview Jct., No Date |
Details of the accident unknown. Locomotives involved identified from photos include 6009B, 6012D and 6050B. A fourth unit (A-unit) remains unidentified. Engines 6012D and 6050B, shown badly damaged in the photos, went to GE in 7/69.
| Walt Ainsworth | 77 |
| Engine 52 Derailed at Gate, WA, No Date |
Class F-1 "Hog" in the ditch.
| Walt Ainsworth | 81 |
| Engine 924 Fell Through Wharf, No Date |
No further details. Seattle, WA a likely location. Early lettering scheme.
| Walt Ainsworth | 83 |
| Head-on Collision at Nisqually, WA - NP 2263 and UP 2132, No Date |
Union Pacific Train No 975. Cars behind NP 2263 are not shown in any of the images, but oil burning Q-6s were commonly used on Portland passenger trains.
| Walt Ainsworth | 85 |
| Accident Between Thorp and Bristol, WA, No Date |
Unidentified locomotive, looks like a Class Q 4-6-2, in the ditch plus two damaged passenger cars.
| Walt Ainsworth | 90 |
| Miscellaneous Accidents |
Photos of accidents with only one view in the collection. See individual image for details.
| Walt Ainsworth | 151 |
| Unidentified Wrecks |
Accidents with little or no data available
| Walt Ainsworth | 153 |