The Great Train Derailment of 1967, Dearborn County, Indiana

www.HistoryInYourOwnBackyard.com
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812-623-5727
Back in 1967 on Sunday, October 1st around 9:00 in the evening, a train headed to Cincinnati from Indianapolis derailed halfway between Weisburg and Bonnell, Indiana. One engine and 38 cars spilled over the hillside and into the creek below. By 4:00 am Monday the railroad company already had people on site to clear the wreckage. The salvage crew recovered all but about 4 or 5 of the train cars leaving them at the bottom of the hillside.
One of the damaged cars was loaded with wine and headed for Seagrams in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Another car was loaded with alcohol with a value of about $100,000.00. In all it’s estimated that there was over 1 million dollars in damage to the train cars and track.
I was talking to a local resident years ago who said when he was a kid, after the train derailment, he and his buddies came down here to one of the cars that was carrying bumper jacks for automobiles. These kids had the idea that they were going to snatch up these bumper jacks and sell them. So they took as many as they could carry but as he said, they really didn't sell anything. They just ended up with a bunch of bumper jacks in the garage.
No one was injured in the wreck. However the day after the accident, a bulldozer operator nearly got killed when his dozer almost went over the embankment on the south side of the tracks as he neared the derailment.
A passenger train called the James Whitcomb Riley bound from Chicago to Cincinnati had to be rerouted because of the derailment.
GPS Location: 39º11'37.6"N 85º00'19.6"W
Video Release Date: February 26, 2023

[@ChadQuick270W]

Great informative video. This was the NYC (Big Four) “Chicago East” line from Indianapolis to Cincinnati as you mentioned.

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

It took awhile to get the information for this video project.

[@ChadQuick270W]

@@historyinyourownbackyard2363 it was the main line Cincinnati and Chicago (well it used the Illinois Central from Kankakee to Chicago) and was all double track between Cincinnati and Indianapolis at one time. I suspect the decay was starting to set in by October 1967 as Penn Central was coming and that was a disaster of a merger. I’m a railroad junkie lol.

[@TheHistoryofBiology]

Sometimes you just can't look away from a Trainwreck

[@davidkimmel4216]

Thanks

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

you're welcome!

[@johnswigler6512]

Great job Satolli and crew.🇺🇸🧢

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

Thanks John!

[@musclecarmitch908]

Great story! Really cool to see some remnants of the derailment too! Thanks for sharing!

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

I've known about this since the late 1980s and thought I should share it with the rest of the world.

[@ecclesrice9789]

The last time I visited this wreck was to show my 10 year old son in 1995. I was 11 when this happened in 1967

[@beverlymichael5830]

Thanks for sharing. Great story

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

You're welcome!

[@KorbinX]

Appreciate the videos over the years ^-^

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

Glad you like the project!

[@jacquelinewood714]

WOW THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR TIME

[@MrWolfSnack]

Im amazed at how well of a job those flat cars are doing at holding the land back. You can tell it's been sliding ever since. The box car didnt fare so well at staying put.

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

Good point.

[@acgillespie]

My Dad used to tell me story's about working at Seagram's in the 1950s and drinking green whiskey. he lived in Aurora and I remember when I was little going to Grandma's where she had Railroad behind her house and next door was a big plant that made caskets I used to play at as a kid. I remember it was hilly. It was spookey seeing all those caskets. This was the 60s most likely

[@LotusbandicootRR]

Really cool to see and hear about! Good to hear no one was hurt, long ago as it was. That's definitely not something you see too often. I assumed the wreckage was only still there because that embankment in particular may have been too difficult to get to, or the equipment was totaled beyond even being worth reclaiming in any way. Really interesting if they actually did leave them there to shore the creek.

[@samikatt2151]

Really neat story :)

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

Glad you like the story!

[@brettw5555]

I remember hearing that there was a train wreck in the vicinity of the Bonnell area back in the early to mid 1990's and didn't know exactly where and glad this video talks about it.

[@KT4RAM]

Thank you for sharing this Great Hoosier RR history. I cannot locate the Great Dunreith Indiana train wreck of January 1, 1968, when it was still PRR. A friend of the family Louis Stafford WA9TPZ with a small team of Amateur Radio operators assisted with communications. I was a young kid living down US 40 ( East National Road) in Greenfield Indiana (Birthplace of James Whitcomb Riley) that ran parallel to the Pennsylvania RR tracks going to Indy. I believe that there was also a derailment in Greenfield around 1963 or so. Would be nice to see any footage of those or of any PRR or Penn Central trains from Indianapolis East to Richmond Indiana. Have a blessed 2024 everyone!

[@aaronschulte3207]

great information sir, stay safe in your travels.

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

Glad you like the video.

[@Funsho97]

Cool story and actually a pretty neat use of the wrecked cars to use them as a seawall sort of thing for erosion containment. Good stuff.

[@robertheadley8561]

Enjoyed the contact very much

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JasonSmith-qj5zp]

Those bumper jacks would definitely sell today. I would take two, one for my 66 Chevy and one for my 72.

[@jackwalsh1468]

Satoli, enjoyed the video. Your Expat fan from the Left Coast. Any word on the video on the old "Allen House Orphanage"???

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

Not yet. :)

[@chuckg6039]

Train companies certainly do want to get rolling again quickly after a wreck. They did just that in East Palestine, Ohio. Now they need to clean up that chemical mess. More than likely, the railroad company NS will eventually go bankrupt over this.

[@FastED1988]

They Have Plenty Of Money And I'll Bet That Is Insured Anyway...

[@chuckg6039]

@@FastED1988 don't be so sure. Can then reorganize. Railroad history is full of companies coming and going. For many reasons. Numerous situations involve reorgs and continue on in a different light.

[@FastED1988]

@@chuckg6039 They Need To Go After The CEO's With Criminal Charges Over This Being 100% Preventable. What Ever They Do It Will Be Tied Up In Court For 5 To 7 Years... Maybe Longer!!!

[@FastED1988]

The EPA Is Making Them Clean It Up Right And They Are Placing Test Wells So The Ground Water Can Be Tested There Often...

[@jayjaynella4539]

I remember the JWR train but did not know about this wreck. I would have been 12 at the time. The fish in the river would have been quite inebriated for a few days.

[@user-zs9pl1yg2e]

How were you able to access it , same way I did . No posted signs, no houses around.

[@shilohsamgary]

Ever do an episode on the old abandon bridge in Brooksburg Indiana?

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

not yet but I plan to someday.

[@indy6781]

was it ever determined what caused the derailment?

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

I have never heard of the cause of the derailment.

[@MrWolfSnack]

If the creek is washing out the track bed, I'm sure the track bed softened up and the train just fell over sideways down the cliff. The tracks collapsed out from under it.

[@Justin_collier]

Id love to know where the main engine was that’s cool but sad to

[@leannahigenbottom7614]

I was trying to figure out where the old railroad tracks are in Frankfort Indiana . I used to there 69 till 72. Can you help.

[@leannahigenbottom7614]

Live there sorry.

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

What part of Frankfort are you talking about? There's 4 or 5 sets of tracks plus a rail yard.

[@thoughtthinker9300]

These huge train transport companies should have emergency response plans for each kind of chemical spill, designed for every kind of terrain and catastrophe... Already in their computer systems ready to be accessed and altered for more exacting responses at their fingertips nearly immediately during the first moments and accessible for any catastrophic problem that may arise. Along with knowing which of their response teams need to be activated and which Federal, STATE and local governments they may need to immediately get in touch with and activated. This is no longer the 1800's where they can hide from these dangerous events any longer. Full visibility, facts, and warnings, along with reaching out for the proper response teams in any area of the country must start immediately without fail, every time. These types of catastrophes can easily rival NUCLEAR power plant disasters very quickly and can easily have as long lasting and as detrimental effects over just as large areas. And these effects can also reach around the world within hours to days. These companies have been in this business for well over one hundred years. For these companies to act like these disasters of catastrophic proportions are a surprise is ridiculous. Or like it's a once in a lifetime event they never expected as a possibility is ridiculous. For them to not be nationally prepared constantly IS A JOKE AND VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE DIRECTLY INVOLVED AND TO ALL AMERICANS IN GENERAL. IF THIS IS THEIR BUSINESS, IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND THE LEAST THAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED OF THEM, IF THEY PLAN TO KEEP DOING BUSINESS ON AMERICAN SOIL, RISING AMERICAN CITIZENS LIVES, LIVELY HOODS, HOMES, AND FUTURES. THEY SHOULD ALSO HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR OR MORE MINIMUM TRUST AVAILABLE FROM EACH TRAIN TRANSPORT COMPANY AT ALL TIMES. WITH NO EXCEPTIONS READY TO START PAYING FOR ANYTHING NEEDED. And citizen groups from the involved areas must be an important part of knowing and responding to these events at every stage possible from moment one.. This should be a key part of every national train transport company. Bankruptcy should never be the financial way out for these companies if they are to be in this business with these size and kinds of physical, health and environmental risks while carrying out their everyday business models. These companies that are having their chemicals transported must also keep these billion dollar trusts for their own responsibilities involved with their chemicals heading in every direction. After all, these companies that produce, store, and handle these chemicals. Should be the most knowledgeable in every aspect of what kinds of disaster responses would work best in nearly all circumstances. Much better than train transport companies alone.. There needs to be a multi prong approach to best deal with these events, for best collection, best mitigation and then into the best long term responses continually to be needed. We need the blame responses, costs and needed actions to come as directly from the parties and companies involved at every level.. OR THESE CHEMICALS SHOULD NOT BE TRANSPORT IN SUCH LARGE QUANTITIES BY ANY COMPANY OR INDIVIDUALS. AMERICA NEEDS TO START FIXING ALL PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE CATASTROPHES AT THEIR CORES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN. AND WHEN NEEDED THEY MUST BE PROPERLY HANDLED FROM THAT POINT FORWARD AS WELL. WE ONLY HAVE ONE AMERICA AND ONE WORLD. WE AS A COUNTRY MUST RESPECT AND TAKE CARE OF THESE AS BEST WE CAN. OTHERWISE WE HAVE NO OTHER PLACE TO HIDE FROM OUR OWN DESTRUCTION. Now is the proper time to work out these long term solutions. And every American and especially those effect individual in these events taking place at this time are the best ones to start this forward looking and acting needed structure of organization, rules, laws, trusts, and whatever else is to be needed... TODAY IS THAT DAY, IN THE FUTURE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK TO AS THE EVENT HORIZON THAT WILL FOREVER HELP US WORK TO PROTECT AMERICA AND THE WORLD

[@user-zs9pl1yg2e]

This isn’t on private property. Look it up .

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

It is on private property Joe. Maybe you should do some research yourself.

[@Mr_badjoke]

Quite the subliminal demon behind that gentle music 😂👌 i gotta place in harrison oh. .. altho i live on the se Florida coast🌴 👍

[@marcusmues]

Very interesting content as always! Just a small recommendation - it might be a good idea to re-title that other video to "20,000 Immigrants Hired to Rebuild Railroad". "Foreigners" isn't a great term to use when talking about folks from other countries, kind of fosters a sense of "they don't belong". I know that's literally the wording the old newspaper posting used, which is fine to quote in a historical sense in the video itself, but maybe not as the title.

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

I agree!

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

Read the law guy. If you can paddle or float on that creek , it is 100% legal to be on that creek regardless of who owns the land under it.

[@MrWolfSnack]

You can't own the waterway, and the railroad owns the rail line, but if the land the section of water runs through is private, that's why. the banks and bottoms of non-meandered rivers are legally private property, but the surface of the water and the water itself is not.

[@mattstarr8203]

snow storm on a railroad track lol one track mind

[@bender7565]

I'm not sure about Great, it was pretty good.

[@joeanderson9852]

👍

[@keithbaker1951]

            Use two fingers to move the map 39°04'42.5"N 84°57'45.0"W

[@keithbaker1951]

This is the old bridge on " red Bridge road" old north hogan in aurora Indiana. You can only see a single pylon remaining. The new shorter bridge is there and its not very pretty compared to the old bridge. You can still see the original stone used to hold up the bridge its not much to look at anymore sadly

[@historyinyourownbackyard2363]

@@keithbaker1951 what is thee GPS Location?