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Ohio Steam Railroad Accidents

         Three Ohio railroad accidents outside of the Columbus area are part of the lore of Columbus railroading. Two occurred on lines that went through Columbus. The Ashtabula bridge collapse would advance railroad bridge engineering, eliminating cast iron in bridge construction.
         The wreck of the Cleveland Akron & Columbus gas-electric motor car near Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, would help eliminate gasoline to power railcars in Ohio and elsewhere on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
         The wreck on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Panhandle line near Coshocton, Ohio that caused the death of soldiers on their way to train for the Korean War was particularly cruel and shocking.
         All three accidents, like most accidents, were caused by human error.

Dec. 29, 1876

Ashtabula, Ohio - a Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway trestle collapsed under a passenger train. 92 passengers and employees were killed and 64 were injured. - The History Guy - Curious History - Vlogging Through History

July 31, 1940	Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - a Pennsylvania Railroad freight train and a passenger train collided head on. 42 passengers and one employee were killed and five employees were injured. - ICC Report - Head on Collision: The Doodlebug Train Disaster - Doodlebug Tragedy website
Sept. 11, 1950	Coshocton, Ohio - a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train collided with the rear of a second passenger train. 33 passengers were killed, 258 passengers and 20 employees injured. - ICC Report - Korean War Educator website (includes the Keystone article by Richard C. Jacobs and David Apple.

21st Century Accidents

July 11, 2012

Columbus, Ohio - a Norfolk Southern Railway Co. freight train encountered a broken rail derailing 17 cars including three ethanol tank cars. One bystander was injured. - NTSB Report