Historical Events tagged with "southern railway"

Turns out history loves a label—battles, breakthroughs, and the occasional disaster, all neatly tagged for your browsing pleasure. Because sometimes you just need every weird invention in one place.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Crescent Limited Train Derails in D.C.

August 24th, 1933 91 years ago

The Crescent Limited, a passenger train, derailed in Washington, D.C., due to a bridge collapse caused by the Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane. The storm had severely impacted the area, washing out the supporting structure of the bridge. The train, carrying numerous passengers, encountered the washed-out bridge, leading to a dramatic derailment that resulted in several injuries. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but the incident highlighted the vulnerabilities of transportation infrastructure during extreme weather events.

Continue Reading
Accidents & Tragedies

Tragic Train Crash Inspires Timeless Ballad

September 27th, 1903 121 years ago

The Wreck of the Old 97 was a rail accident that occurred when the Southern Railway's passenger train No. 97 was derailed while traveling through Virginia. On September 27, 1903, the train was speeding to make up lost time due to delays. The locomotive, notably named 'Old 97', went off the tracks at a trestle near Danville, resulting in the deaths of 11 people and many injuries. Eyewitness accounts and media coverage contributed to the incident's notoriety, while a ballad captured the tragedy and the life of the engineer, Casey Jones, making it a lasting part of American folklore.

Continue Reading