Train Wrecks

Train Wrecks (HM1AG)

Location: Falls Church, VA 22046
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Country: United States of America
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N 38° 53.443', W 77° 10.654'

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Inscription
Accidents happened on the Washington & Old Dominion. Mishaps resulted from washouts of the roadbed, loose rails, rotting ties, or from livestock wandering across the tracks. Crew negligence also played a part.

One of the earliest and most serious accidents occurred in Round Hill, Virginia. On Christmas Day 1874, an engine in the process of being turned around fell off the turntable and crushed a crewman.

Perhaps the most dangerous situation arose from dozens of at-grade street crossings. Despite automatic warning signals and train whistles, automobile drivers often could not resist the temptation to outrun what looked like slow-moving trains.

In 1952 on Shirley Highway (I-395), a dump truck loaded with asphalt failed to brake in time and hit a westbound locomotive. The engine was plunged into an embankment, freight cars were derailed, and several people were injured. The driver of the truck was killed.
Details
HM NumberHM1AG
Series This marker is part of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad series
Tags
Placed ByThe Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 at 1:58am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 311141 N 4306903
Decimal Degrees38.89071667, -77.17756667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 53.443', W 77° 10.654'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 53' 26.58" N, 77° 10' 39.24" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)703, 571
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 379 Washington and Old Dominion Trail, Falls Church VA 22046, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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