Postscript: Kingston Derailment August 1986

Here's a different perspective on the August 26, 1986 derailment, as written in the BRS Branchline, January 1987 edition, by Rolland O. Lafleur. The article tells the story of the author departing Ottawa on August 25 for Toronto aboard VIA No 49/59, then passing the scene of the derailment in my Retro Railfan Account. Here's the excerpt:

"After a little detention, the train proceeded to inch westward. As I peered out curiously, I noticed how much brighter it got outisde, as if we were approaching a wayside shopping plaza. In reality, powerful floodlights from an auxiliary provided a whiteway for a wrecking crew at work. Luckliy, my accommodation on the fireman/helper's side gave me a vantage point in full view of a derailment.

Cars were strewn along the right-of-way. At one point, we came alongisde an enclosed automobile carrier, lying on its side, with one end down the embankment and the other - jagged and minus its truck - pointing upward obliquely, and closing in on our passage to something short of a two-foot clearance. The sight was awesome. A little further along stood the auxiliary train, in the clear. Our train moved at medium speed, making a station stop shortly afterward. The sign board read Kingston."