Now understand that details are a bit fuzzy because everybody in my research loves to be really vague or completely useless. But, since the birds are chirping and the air is warmer and people will be soon thinking about demolition derby, I thought I would throw this in.

In 1886 a passenger train full of tourists bound for Niagara Falls collided head on with a freight train on a sharp turn around my home town of Silver Creek, New York. Somebody didn’t stop the train at the station like they were supposed to. 21 men’s lives were lost when the baggage car enveloped the smoking car. The conductor and the engineer were charged with manslaughter for disobeying orders.

You may notice that the one car is inside the other. Women were not allowed in the smoking car, so none of them died.

I found these photos at the Silver Creek…ummm…room of old stuff. I don’t know what else to call it. It needs a lot of work. The engine looks like it’s from Vulcan Iron Works. They were used on the Buffalo & State Line Railroad quite a bit. To bad it didn’t “live long and prosper.”