Train involved: Yard diesel 7018; 1 load, no empties.

Type of occurrence: Derailments and collisions (multiple).

Cause of accident: Failure of yard crew to notify CNR yard crew approaching from Montreal Street Siding to stay dear until running  switch had been completed.

Occurrence details: Yard diesel 7018, Engineer N.  Tanchik. no fireman,

     Yard Foreman R. D. Lane, Helpers B. Wyrozub and H. Powell, working on  the regular Farm Assignment had pulled CP 313006, Subway Car destined Toronto, from the Canadian Car Company's Industrial track, and when reaching the Neebing Avenue gate, the yard crew decided to make running switch so that the car could be handled on the west  end of the diesel for pulling to the Island Wye and its eventual turning. In doing so, the movement was lined up for the diesel to go into the stub track located inside the Canadian Car Company's fence and CP  31 3005 was to go westward  on the Neebing Avenue lead towards the North Western Elevator.

     Just at the time that the running switch was being made, a Canadian National yard movement, diesel 7083 was moving from  the Montreal Street siding and pulling 3 toads behind their diesel, came  out foul on the Neebllng Avenue lead, sideswiping CP 313005 which had, by now, been cut  off and was moving freely on the Neebling Avenue lead In a westerly  direction. The impact caused the Subway Car to come loose from its moorings on CP 313006 and catapult off the car, clearing the ditch on the North side of the track and striking the Jenkins Funeral Home Hearse, a 1975 Cadillac, license 3476-J (Ontario) and driven by H. Gillman which was heading a funeral procession and  also moving slowly in  a westerly direction.

     The Subway Car hit the middle of the hearse and this resulted in the  coffin being dislodged from the damaged hearse, striking the roadway and  the body of the late Mr. A. Brown, a well-known pioneer of the City was dislodged from the coffin and landed laying facing-down In 6 inches of water in the ditch on the north side of the roadway.

      Mr. Glllman received a gash on his head, and was transported to hospital by another motorist from the funeral procession who had already been comandeered to take Mrs. A. Brown to the hospital as she had suffered a heart attack after seeing the proceeding occurrence. Mr. N. Jenkinson, director of the Jenkins Funeral Home and driver of the automobile following the hearse was unable to assist in this respect as he and the 6 pall-bearers were injured by flying glass when they were unable to avoid running Into the damaged hearse. 

      CP 313005, the flatcar which had had the Subway Car  on it ran free down the Neebing Avenue lead when Yardman B. Wyrozub was  knocked off the car when it came in contact with the Canadian National diese!7083. The  flat car ran into #4 track at the North Western grain elevator demolishing the stop-block and came to rest, hanging  half over the trestle over the Kam River

     Canadian National diesel 7083, when struck by  CP313005, had all wheels derailed at the point of impact, and Engineer R, Smith had several teeth knocked out when he hit his head on the air valve In the diesel cab when the diesel stopped suddenly.

     The third, or last car of the drag being pulled by the Canadian National diesel 7083 was CN 660042 containing concrete blocks loaded at the Terra-Krete outfit on Montreal Street. This car was exactly on the Montreal Street crossing when the incident occurred, and when it stopped ; suddenly, 11 concrete blocks  toppled off CN 660042 and landed on a 1976 Chevrolet Sedan, License 64T33, (Minnesota) owned and driven by Mr. W. Wytoruk of 1822 Hlllsdale Drive, St Paul, Minnesota, who had been on Montreal Street at the crossing to allow the Canadian National movement  to dear. Damage to Mr. Wytoruk's automobile was estimated to about $6,000, and Mr. Wytoruk sustained 2 broken legs and was taken to hospital.

     Yard diesel 7018, which was involved in making the running switch in the first place was lined up to go into the stub track Inside the Canadian Car Company's fence and became derailed.  It was discovered  that the Roadmaster had shortened up this track to  about 100 feet in length but had neglected to put out any advice In this regard. All wheels on unit 7018 are derailed, and the unit is listing at a 45 degree angle. The track that unit 7018 entered is quite overgrown with weeds, and it has hard to see that the track had been shortened.

Dedicated to those who have ever written, been the subject of, or read a railway accident report.