Description
  
  
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.
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Dorsey Bridge ca. 1903
Snowslide takes out Dorsey, Idaho, bridge leaving passenger car hanging on remaining portion of damaged bridge.
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Engine 1531 wrecked, 1907, 1909
Class W locomotive blew up at Plateau, MT
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5
Headon Collision near Dudley, WA, 5/17/1909
Engines 295 and 240.
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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.
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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.
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9
Flood East of Easton 1916
The Yakima River flooded east of Easton, Washington, and washed out the NP mainline in 1916.
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Engine 55 Derailed into the Carbon River, 1919
At about MP 3.5 on Crocker Branch near Wingate, WA.
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13
Derailment at Clear Lake, WA, 1925
W-5 locomotive No 1843 has derailed and cars jackknifed at Clear Lale.
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15
Engine 5107 Tipped Over in the Ditch, 3/1942
at Turah, MT and has struck a "Northwest" (manufacturer's name) shovel.
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16
GN 3214 at Lakeview, 7/24/1942
Sideswiping of two trains at Lakeview, WA derails GN 3214.
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Second No. 2 Derailed at "Dead Mans Curve", 11/20/1942
Excessive speed causes derailment on sharp curve near Baker, WA
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Collision at Auburn Yard, 8/24/1944
Switch engine 1268 came out and struck 1st 679, engine 1777, pushing it over on 2nd 680.
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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.
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23
Derailment at Lester, ca 1949
Extra West had gone part way through spring switch at Lester, WA then backed up.
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25
Slid Wheels at Lester, WA, ca 1950
Brakes have been locked.  Damage to the wheel makes for interesting speculation as to what happened.
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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.
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29
Derailment at Wickersham, 9/7/1951
Four year boy throws switch causing derailment of northbound Sumas line train.
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30
Rear End Collision at Quendall, WA, April 22, 1952
Everett-Auburn Turn with Engine GP-7 558 struck rear of "Wooley" local.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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41
Freight Train Derailment at Thorp, WA, 11/11/1953
X5400W derailed due to the failure of a friction journal bearing.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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NP No. 2, The Mainstreeter, Derailed at Nelson, WA, 3/11/1962
Accident caused by a broken rail.
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Burned Bridge East of McCarver St., Tacoma, WA, 6/12/1962
Bridge no.3 on Pt. Defiance Line, 3rd Sub., Tacoma Division.
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NP Second 680 Derailed at UP Jct., Tacoma, WA, 1966
Several derailed tank cars.  Some of them tipped over.
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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
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Old Stampede Washout, No Date
 Washout at Old Stampede WA between Tunnels Nos. 3 and 4.
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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.
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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.
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Wreck of UP Train #361, Engine No. 206, No Date
Tender of engine 206 and all of the passenger cars derailed.
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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.
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Engine 52 Derailed at Gate, WA, No Date
Class F-1 "Hog" in the ditch.
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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.
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Unidentified Wrecks
Accidents with little or no data available
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