Two previously-published posts profile a fatal derailment that occurred about ten miles west of here on December 20, 1974 - now 51 years ago - almost to the day. The first post dealt with the cold facts of the derailment and its immediate aftermath, including the rescue of stranded passengers by 30 local snowmobilers who took them to the nearest road access about one-half mile west. The second, a postscript, included additional material and photos of the derailment clean-up, the locomotives and cars involved and a brief epilogue. When they were published in 2023, I did not expect that some of those affected by the derailment on that fateful winter night would add their first-person accounts to the Comments sections, sharing their experiences as passengers or rescuers.
Rather than letting these important accounts languish, I decided to include them in this new post. I think you'll agree that they really bring the story to life - in ways both chilling and heartwarming. If any more accounts are received as comments in the future, they will be added here.
Not surprisingly, many of the passengers on CN No 45 were studying in Kingston, heading home for the Christmas holidays and swelling the passenger count close to 200. None of those aboard, nor the passenger train's crew, could be aware of what lay around the curve approaching Ernestown as they hurtled west at 80 mph. It was CN No 318 doing 60+ mph and heading right for them.
Here are those accounts:
NANCY ALLEN - Nanaimo, BC - Passenger:
"Thank you for this very thorough research of the crash on that fateful night so long ago! I was on that passenger train heading to Toronto from Ottawa to spend Christmas with my parents. My boyfriend at the time, a 3rd year med student at the University of Ottawa, was on the train too, heading down to his parents in Niagara Falls. The crash was a shock. I remember slamming forward against the seat ahead. I think we were about three cars back from the engine. People starting screaming and moaning almost immediately. My boyfriend jumped out of his seat right away and helped people where he could. I think I was in shock after the crash.
All I remember is a ride on a snowmobile to a bus? then on to Belleville for a later train to Toronto. I must have arrived at my parents in the wee hours of the 21st. They hadn't heard of the crash by that time and were pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. Reading your accounts and the newspaper articles makes me realize only now how serious it was. I didn't know that alcohol, speed and the health of the engineers were all key factors contributing to a very sad tragedy. It makes one realize we really put our lives into the hands of the bus drivers, train engineers and pilots! Something to never take for granted."
(ANONYMOUS) - Passenger:
"I was in that accident, going home from Queens U to Belleville for Christmas.....ironically due to a later than normal Chem Lab the only time I ever used the train for that trip...usually took the bus for that trip."
(ANONYMOUS) - Passenger:
Thanks for this in depth article, I was a Queens U student heading home for Xmas on that train.....I remember "face planting" the back of the seat in front of me.....other than a bloody nose and a couple of black eyes I was not badly hurt, and I will always remember the snowmobilers who helped out.
ROSS BABCOCK - Rescuer:
"I came down from Odessa on my almost new Johnson Rampage snowmobile and brought one of the passengers over to County Road 6 following this collision. I was 34 at the time."
SUSAN STASIAK - St Catharines, ON - Passenger:
"Thank you for publishing this article. As I sat down this morning to look online for a book that our book club is going to read (Paris Express) it reminded me of the train accident that I was in 51 years ago. A quick google search brought up your article, with more info than I had ever read regarding the accident. I was on the passenger train and had boarded in Kingston to head home to St. Catharines (connecting at Union Station) to spend Christmas with my family. I was 21 at the time.
Not long after boarding, I walked back a few cars to the snack bar in the dining car, and the collision occurred while I was standing at the snack bar. It happened so suddenly that I didn't remember the collision or the train braking in advance. I ended up on the floor partially on top of the person who had been standing next to me, and I think she was unconscious. I yelled for help and the first person to appear was a server from the dining area who was bleeding from several cuts on his hands. I was OK, but likely in shock and I recall my confusion when I saw the injured server, still not understanding in those early moments after the crash what had happened.
Before departing the train, I was allowed to go up to the car that I had been seated in to get my bags. The damage there was quite bad and I felt fortunate that I had walked back several cars prior to the collision, and that I wasn’t in between cars when it happened.
I recall the snowmobile ride (and being grateful to the snowmobilers who came to our rescue) and vaguely remember the bus ride to the train station, and train ride to Toronto. My boyfriend picked me up at Union Station - he was going to pick me up at the St. Catharines Station but heard of the accident (I’m not sure if it was on the news already, or if he found out at the St. Catharines station when he went to pick me up) so he headed to Union Station to pick me up.
My parents hadn't heard of the accident and when I arrived home in the middle of the night, I don’t think they woke up. Since I wasn’t injured, they didn’t seem too concerned about the accident when I told them the next day. It wasn’t until the next day that we heard the sad news about the fatalities.
Thanks again for publishing this story – my husband and I found it both informative and interesting. He was the boyfriend who went to Union Station that night to pick me up … we were married 5 months later."
Running extra...
Christmas is all about the kids. Our granddaughter picks out her Build-a-Bear pup 'Bernie' the Bernese mountain dog this past week (above). Should I let her watch this Apple iPhone woodland animals video, even with its references to roadkill in the animal world? It's entertaining, and includes amazing puppetry skills and technology!
The train in Spain is mainly on the plain. At least the high-speed one. This entertaining video draws some parallels. You sing ALTO, I'll sing TENOR twelve miles away! Meanwhile, VIA's CEO will be retiring in January. I am just putting the finishing touches on my resumé. (Will hours-spent-trackside count in my interview points total?)
Have you ever travelled in a coach for 4 days? And I don't mean sitting in Brockville. Travel with John Mac as he makes even more creative use of Winnipeg layover time than I did visiting CN's East Yard...taking in a Jets game, er, period. Interview with a breakfast sandwich at the 37:37 mark! Spoiler alert: John says "If I'm honest" 113 times!
First past the post...
At the first of three piana-playin' Golf club get-togethers this week, I was able to chat with Jim, our former hospital VP. We are both enjoying retirement, but only one of us recalled playing hockey in the hospital lobby when we were six years old with the nurses setting up goal posts near their 'old main' nurses' station! We are both, however, awaiting the someday new hospital for which the city has pledged land. I expect to go see it in the Access Bus with my seeing-eye dog. It may take that long to get built!
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