1950 — Sep 11, Spirit of St. Louis train hits stopped PA NG troop train, Isleta, OH — 33

lornajarrettblanchard September 11, 1950

–33 Jacobs/Apple, “The Tragedy of PX5444 West, The Keystone, Vol. 21, No. 3, Autumn 1988.
–33 Korean War Educator. Troop Train Wreck: — A Home Front Tragedy.
–33 Tuscarawas County Convention/Visitors Bureau. Dennison…West Lafayette Troop Train
–33 Wilkes-Barre Record Almanac, 1951. “109th FA Battalion Train Wreck.”

Narrative Information

Korean War Educator: “National Guard units across the United States were federalized during the weeks and months immediately after war broke out on the Korean peninsula. World War II veterans found themselves on the way to yet another distant battlefront, and guardsmen with little or no combat training were assigned to military bases near and far from their homes for accelerated courses in warfare. Wives and children, mothers and fathers, and family friends gathered on hometown streets for tearful farewells to the townsmen who were so abruptly and unexpectedly called to active duty because of the new war now raging in the Far East. Destined for Germany once their training was complete, no one was sure when they would be with their loved ones again. But at least they would be safe at the training camp and in Germany. At least they would not be casualties of the war in Korea.

“In the communities of Carbondale, Honesdale, and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, no one watching train “PX5444 West” chug down the tracks could predict the great tragedy that awaited the guardsmen of the 28th Division just one state away and less than one day after they pulled out of the Wilkes-Barre train station en route to Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Although the guardsmen did not serve in Korea, many of the soldier passengers on PX5444 West nevertheless became Korean War casualty statistics when the troop train they were riding in was struck by the Spirit of St. Louis in the early morning hours of September 11, 1950.” (Korean War Educator. Troop Train Wreck: — A Home Front Tragedy.)

Jacobs and Apple: “Among the many units called up to active duty was the 28th Infantry Guard Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard, the famed “Keystone Division.” This Division was to be transported to Camp Atterbury, Indiana for additional training before shipping out to West Germany. The movement was going to require several trains. One of these trains…departed Carbondale, Pennsylvania, via the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 10th, with 429 troops of the 109th Infantry Regiment riding in ten coaches… Upon arrival at Wilkes-Barre, another…express car and a second USA kitchen car were added to the train, along with six coaches containing 226 troops of the 109th Infantry Artillery Battalion. Battery “B” was in the last two coaches of the train.

“To the U.S. Military, this train was identified as MAIN 4063 (Carbondale) and MAIN 4064 (Wilkes-Barre). To the Pennsylvania Railroad it was known as Pennsylvania National Guard train No. 4. Leaving Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at 4:30 p.m., they began the long overnight trip across Pennsylvania and Ohio into southeastern Indiana, and would be arriving at camp about 1:30 p.m. the following afternoon. The troop train departed Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 1:40 a.m., September 1, with a…. total of 20 cars. To the Panhandle Division dispatchers and operators, this train would be known as PX5444 WEST….

“Approaching Shurtz’s crossing (a private farm lane on the Shurtz farm on the east side of West Lafayette, Ohio) the brakes suddenly went into emergency and the train came to a stop at 4:38 a.m., with the east end of the rear coach 185 feet west of signal 1149. Before the train had reached a stop, flagman Lancaster dropped off a lit five-minute fusee [flare] between the rails. Upon a full stop, he got off the rear and proceeded east with his flagging equipment….

“When flagman Lancaster was about 400 feet to the rear of his train, he observed the headlight of an approaching train about three to four miles distant…. At this point, he stood in the middle of the westbound track and began giving “stop” signals with his red lantern. When the approaching train was about 2,000 feet east of him, he lit a five-minute fusee and began waving it. Getting no acknowledging whistle signal from the rapidly approaching diesels, he yelled a warning to the crewmen on the ground near the rear of his train. He then jumped to the side of the track and hurled the burning fusee at the windshield of the diesel just before it barreled past him….

“The passenger train [Spirit of St. Louis, 240 passengers] came through the darkness like a silent, unstoppable monster…. The impact was severe….” (Jacobs and Apple, 1988)

Jacobs and Apple: “Thursday, September 14, 1950 was a dark and gloomy day in the Wyoming Valley area of Pennsylvania. In Wilkes-Barre and Kingston, flags were flying at half-mast. Mayor Luther Knifen had ordered by proclamation that all business and social activities be suspended between the hours of 1:15 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

“A few thousand people were crowded into the depot area where Color Guards of Honor stood at “Present Arms!” All were silent. Among the crowd was Pennsylvania Governor James H. Duff. The baggage car doors opened, and one by one each flag-draped casket was unloaded and placed on three-quarter ton weapons carriers….

“…1,000 Pennsylvania National Guardsmen of the 11th Infantry [led the funeral procession]…. As the funeral procession departed the depot, the bells of the city’s churches began to toll. Simultaneously, 105 mm Howitzers of the 967th Armored Field Artillery began a 33 gun salute from the Kingston side of the Susquehanna River.

“An estimated crowd of about 100,000 citizens lined Market Street as the funeral procession lowly made its way around one side of the town square and over the Susquehanna River bridge to the Armory at Kingston….” (Jacobs and Apple, 1988)

Tuscarawas County Convention/Visitors Bureau: “On October 4, 1950, The Interstate Commerce Commission ruled that the accident was caused “by failure to operate the following train in accordance with signal indications.” Thirty-three GI’s were killed in the crash and more than 50 were severely injured.” (Tuscarawas County Convention/Visitors Bureau. Dennison…West Lafayette Troop Train)
Newspaper

Sep 13: “Pittsburgh, Sept. 13 (AP) — The Pennsylvania railroad’s “Spirit of St Louis” was running late, going too fast and ran through a stop signal as it ripped into a stalled troop train, its ashen engineer testified today. William R Eller, 68-year-old railroad veteran with 48 years’ service, was the key witness at an inquiry into the pre-dawn Ohio tragedy that killed 33 Pennsylvania National Guardsmen Monday. The open hearing—conducted by the railroad, the Interstate Commerce commission, the Ohio Public Utility commission and the army — lasted nearly five hours.” (Times-Recorder, Zanesville, OH. “Engineer Admits Failing to Heed Red Stop Signal,” September 14, 1950.)
Sources

Jacobs, Richard C. and David Apple. “The Tragedy of PX5444 West.” The Keystone (Official Publication of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society), Vol. 21, No. 3, Autumn 1988. At: http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/homefront/p_troop_train.htm

Korean War Educator. Home Front. “Troop Train Wreck: – A Home Front Tragedy.” Accessed 8-21-2023 at: http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/homefront/p_troop_train.htm

Times-Recorder, Zanesville, OH. “Engineer Admits Failing to Heed Red Stop Signal,” 9-14-1950. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=8363378&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=1

Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Dennison Depot Seeking Information on the West Lafayette Troop Train Accident of 1950.” September 13, 2007. Accessed at: http://tusccvb.blogspot.com/2007/09/dennison-depot-seeking-information-on.html

Wilkes-Barre Record Almanac – 1951. “109th FA [Field Battalion] Train Wreck.” Accessed 8-21-2023 at: http://www.pagenweb.org/~luzerne/109thfa.htm