Wreck in Knox IL

larry123 · **Joined:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 5:56 pm **Posts:** 29

I am trying to find information about an wreck of a Santa Fe locomotive near Knox Il about June 1924. The reason I want this information is because if it was a 3415 locomotive. which could be the same one we use on The Abilene & Smoky Valley railroad at Abilene KS. Thanks for any help.

Dick_Morris · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:35 am

i didn't see anything in a couple of newspaper archive sites. There is a Galesburg Railroad Museum about ten miles from Knox, maybe they would have some history of the wreck.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2875

I grew up around 75 miles east of there on the Santa Fe, I asked about it on the Peoria Railroads closed FB group but no one who has seen it yet has any idea. As Dick Morris says, Galesburg is a small city around 10 miles from there and has a paper that has merged several times, in 1924 it would have been called the Republican Resigster, back copies are available in several places on microfilm, including Knox College in Galesburg (Knox is the county, the village of Knox looks like it never was more than a few houses).
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn ... /holdings/

Another option is to go through the ICC accident records which are stored at the University of Denver in Denver (which, coincidentally, is my alma mater). Both of those mean you will actually need to travel there though and fish through the documents.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2875

I received this response from one of the main guys in the Peoria railfan community: "I know that Highland Lake (now Gale Lake) burst from heavy rains in June 1924, causing a Santa Fe passenger train to derail. I don't know the exact date." If you can do some research about that you may find your answer.

larry123 · **Joined:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 5:56 pm **Posts:** 29

I am not sure but what we can piece together it was June 1924 and was told there was a picture taken of a Santa Fe steam engine laying on its side with the number 3415. Sorry I do not have more information but this was just mentioned to us. The picture was found in a box in their grandparents attic and no other information.
Another source said the 3415 was involved in this wreck.
If anybody could help with finding about more such as an ICC report.
Just trying to find out more about our engine at The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad.
Thanks for any help.

Txhighballer · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:49 am **Posts:** 773

Unfortunately, the DOT Collections website has either been taken down or is not functioning. It was a great source of info, but its disappearance is not good...I will leave it at that.

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:28 am

Txhighballer wrote:

Unfortunately, the DOT Collections website has either been taken down or is not functioning. It was a great source of info, but its disappearance is not good...I will leave it at that.

I was looking for it myself a day or two ago. The DOT website has a new design and could not find it by an on-site search. I found an old link and utilizing that I got a web page with a top banner including "Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology" and "National Transportation Library" with this message displayed:

Quote:

Site is Currently Under Construction. All questions and concerns for the material on this site must be forwarded to OSTLibrary@dot.gov.

I tried to send a message to the address provided and it bounced back with the text:

Quote:

OSTLibrary@dot.gov
host smtp08.dot.gov [204.68.194.50]
SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<OSTLibrary@dot.gov>:
550 #5.1.0 Address rejected.

Enough said!

usaf_andrew · **Joined:** Thu Nov 26, 2009 5:32 pm **Posts:** 30

I was trying this site as well. Frustrating as all get out. What would be another source to look up a wreck from 1928?