Kew Gardens train crash

The railway accident in Kew Gardens was a rear-end collision on 22 November 1950 to the main line of the Long Iceland Rail Road ( LIRR ) in New York City between the stations at Kew Gardens and Jamaica in Queens. 78 people died and 363 were injured.

Starting position

The accident site is located today in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens. At the time of the accident, but this was still part of the district of Richmond Hill.

The front train, a railcar was worn by 18 clock 09 by the New York Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan to Hempstead. First stop should be Jamaica. The train had 12 cars and - due to the rush hour - about 1,000 passengers on board. Even with the departure of the train it was dark.

This first train came to 18.13 clock another railcar from the New York Pennsylvania Station to Babylon, New York, with 1,200 passengers, the same route as used for slower moving train between Kew Gardens and Jamaica.

Circumstances of the accident

When the first train ran through the Kew Gardens station, showed the next distant signal " expect danger ". The engineer slowed to which in this case prescribed speed of 15 mph to reach (20 km / h). However, the brakes could no longer be solved so that the train came to a halt. While the engineer looked identify the problem, the brakeman, who were riding in the last passenger cars rose, duly made ​​to each of the following train with a red lantern on the stranded train to warn. A signal controlled protection for the train did not exist.

Also, the engineer of the second train saw the distant signal, the " expect stop " showed. He slowed his train also reduced to the prescribed speed of 15 mph (20 km / h). Next, he saw the main signal, " ride free" revealed but before the stranded train was standing, and related it to their own train without recognizing the lying in the dark in front of him train to Hempstead. He quickened his train therefore back to 35 mph (55 km / h). When he saw the broken-down train first before him, he opened an emergency, but only to 30 mph (50 km / h) slowed the second train before the collision occurred.

The brakeman of the first train was assumed that the problem was solved with the brake, got back in the train and signaled his engineer that he again located in the train. When he received no answer it, he wanted to get back and forth to protect the train with the red lantern. Before he could do that, but it came to 18.29 clock for impact. Neither of the two trains derailed. Rather, the front train was pushed 25 meters forward and slashed its last car of the first train of the impacting lengthwise horizontally. This in turn has compressed it.

Follow

In the wreckage of the two cars most of the dead were squeezed together. Although help came very quickly, but it took five hours before the last survivor was rescued from the rubble. Among the dead was the engineer of the rear train.

The investigation by the Interstate Commerce Commission came to the conclusion that the engineer of the rear train was to blame for the accident, failed to comply because he " expect danger " that and was directed incorrectly after the signal is still 800 meters away, the " ride free " showed. Also, the brakeman was criticized because he had the assurance of the disabled train set too early.

In addition to that very old persons cars from the period around 1910 were in use. The railway company was 1918-1947 by the New York State Public Service Commission - have been prevented from any increase in fares - despite rising costs. This had led to a severe under-funding and prevents investments in rail. The L.I.R.R. was located at the time of the accident already in insolvency proceedings.

The owner of the LIRR, the Pennsylvania Railroad took the LIRR after the accident, from the bankruptcy, installed a signal-dependent speed testing for their trains ( pulse code cab signaling ) and invested $ 58 million into the web. In return for their tax liabilities have been widely adopted and realistic fares approved.