Wreck at California Road

[Wayne Gest]

I’ve seen pictures of this wreck before but I never found the details of what happened, exactly. California Road becomes Coliseum.

https://journalgazette.net/features/his ... -3-in-1947

[Bob Durnell]

Amazing that in all the years I have followed this stuff, this is the first I have EVER heard about this wreck. Everywhere you turn, you find references to the 1911 Pennsy wreck at Swinney Park, but this one which is decades more recent has just faded into oblivion. I also never cease to be amazed at the level of detail in the news reporting back then, in some cases, I would say too much detail. I don't think if I was a family member or friend that I would want to read that my loved one was impaled on the controls of a steam locomotive. That kind of information is probably best left to an accident report. That being said, I also can't imagine what kind of crappy job the modern day Urinal Gazette would do covering the same story.

[rrnut282]

Curiously, I don't remember reading about this one, also. Thanks, Wayne.

I find it interesting, that DOH (pre-INDOT) used an out-of-state contractor to upgrade a road to US highway standards, within site of the local district office. (though it may not have been located there at the time)

Finding out a guy close to retirement was impaled on the controls was TMI. I'm currently reading through ICC accident reports for the 1930s and they do not go into that much detail of injuries.