Crashing Locomotives for Show - Part 3

Due to the national press coverage that came with crashing locomotives for show, others tried to replicate Alfred Lincoln Streeter’s concept. The ultimate goal for a made to order collision was to attract a huge paying audience, which could be difficult, due to the weather, other competing events, and people’s reluctance to pay an entry fee. Many central United States locations hosted events in 1896, such as Waco, Texas, and Denver, Colorado. Some collisions were held during state fairs. The Crash at Crush, Texas became the most widely known head on locomotive collision of 1896, as there were several deaths and multiple injuries after the boilers exploded. Despite the challenges that went along with hosting locomotive collisions, they remained popular into the early 1900s.
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[@hankfrankly7240]

Enjoyed immensely. It's amazing what people will do for encouragement.

[@shaunbolton4662]

Very good series! While I fully appreciate the spectacularity of train wrecks, I much more lament the destruction of so many antique locomotives. Better to go out with a (literal) bang than be ignominiously scrapped, but preservation is preferable to me. These wrecks seem like vandalism for profit... which they seldom made! Thanks for posting this series!

[@tubularap]

Well said.

[@WpGaming1]

Was eagerly awaiting part 3 of this lol

[@robertmcmanus636]

I'm surprised that you didn't include really any information regarding the staged locomotive wrecks at the Minnesota State Fair.

[@Tom8201]

I wonder if they staged a collision today if it would be attended especially with using radio control on diesel locomotives to allow a higher speed head on.

[@micnorton9487]

17:31, each engine weighed 6500 lb? That's only three and a quarter tons,, isn't that a bit light?

[@shaunbolton4662]

Just a slip of the tongue, no doubt. The text has the correct 65,000 pounds.

[@micnorton9487]

There were two people killed by flying shrapnel, and they actually did another one of these crazy events?

[@JohnDavies-cn3ro]

I knew the Crush incident had ended tragically - and my only surprise was that it hadn't hppened earlier. A locomotive boiler under steam is basically a rolling bomb; damage the boiler shell and...... bye bye. The Denver shunt, from the names of the two railroads involved, suggests they were narrow gauge. Do you know if this was so?

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

I could recreate these crash scenes with some really cheap Lionel MPC era train engines and cars on my CZcams channel.

[@Titan604]

Wonder if more recent crashes would be covered, like this one: czcams.com/video/ZY446h4pZdc/video.html

[@micnorton9487]

YOU'RE DEFINITELY an Uncle Fester wannabe 👍👍👍...

[@James-sir]

Yeah why what did they just find these and stold them and just wrecked them that would be a lot of money to waste especially back then if they built them to wreck them the story doesn’t make sense I smell bs there’s more to the story !!!