The MORE I look at this "wreck" the more it looks like a "staged" derailment, perhaps for the shooting of a movie involving a train wreck such as "The Fugitive."
A check of AMTRAK reference books indicates that #5601 is a 56-seat coach built by Budd in 1939 for ACL's "Champion." Prior to Amtrak this car was SCL 5601 and ACL #201.
#5801 is listed as being a 58-seat coach built by Budd in 1953 for the C & E.I.#478. Car was also L&N #3242 prior to Amtrak.
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| Posted by on October 11, 2013 | |
Agreed, these cars were dumped here. Out of sight , out of mind. No track or roadbed damage evident.
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I know this is a late post: Looking at the picture I agree that it was a deliberate derailment, though I don't think for a movie. I believe that because the railroad was no longer going to be operating, the officials and people keeping it running couldn't find anyone willing to take the equipment off their hands. Since no one was willing or able to buy and move the excess rolling stock, the organization decided it was time to "dispose of the 'trash'!" It appears they set a derail on the line and shoved the equipment over it and let it wreck here, thus giving the photo that is now posted! No damage to the rail, so this was deliberately pushed off here! What a waste, I'm sure someone may have wanted that equipment, they probably didn't look very hard or long to find them!
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According to a news article at the time, the cars got loose around 11pm and rolled out of Jacumba before coming to rest there. They appear to have been salvaged and removed since then, so I don't think it was done on purpose. My guess is they tipped off of the curve going too fast, coming off of the rails, but not damaging the alignment.
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To my knowledge, as of January 2015, these cars are no longer lying along the ROW near Tunnel #5. There is evidence of an accident in that area - smashed seats, debris and a drawbar with a coupler attached, however there are also debris from cars that are much older (a wheel bearing cover from a Bettendorf friction bearing truck). The old AT&SF hopper on the Tunnel #15 Spur at Goat Canyon has a truck on the ground so it too is derailed and there are a car or two in the yard at Jacumba that have rolled off the ends of their sidings, so yes there are other derailments including two box cars over the side near MP 104 and a Coors Beer trailer over the side west of Goat Canyon. Historically, this line is prone to rolled rail derailments due to the number and tightness of the curves, and the age and condition of the track. Most of the rail is dates from 1912-1915 and the newest rail that I saw on a bridge near Dubbers is from 1945. This is further evidence of the degree of the PIR fantasy of dragging loaded well cars through the gorge on a one or a two train a day basis. The entire line would really need to be replaced because unlike most rail lines, none of the gorge from Tunnel #5 in the west to a mile or so east of Tunnel #21 is accessible by vehicle. This means that any derailment would be worked from track mounted booms and equipment - the old fashioned way. Cats and side booms are not an option in most of the gorge.
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