Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1936, September 30 - Two baggage cars and a mail car derailed mear Manotick, Prescott subdivision

Ottawa Citizen Thurday 1 October 1936 Three Cars Derailed on Ottawa -Toronto Train, 200 Passengers Escape Night Train Meets Accident Near Manotick. Engineer's Presence of Mind Averted Disaster and Only Express and Mail Car Leave Rails. Broken Rail Is Given as Cause. Member of Crew Win High Praise. More than 200 passengers on the Ottawa-Toronto night train had a remarkable escape when three cars left the rails between Gloucester and Manotick at mileage ten just before midnight last night. Due too smart work on the part of the train crew, no one was injured, and what might easily have been a major catastrophe was averted. Three cars off tracks. The train which is the night pool train, pulled out of the Ottawa Union Station at 11.35 last night with its first scheduled stop Kemptville at 12.25 a.m. It had just got up speed and was a thundering on towards its first stop when suddenly the Canadian Pacific Railway Express car left the rails, pulling a Canadian National Express car and the mail car with it. Fortunately the engineer, G. Yelland of Ottawa, saw what had happened and immediately braked the train. Right-of-way Torn Up As he pulled the train to a stop, the baggage car between the mail car and the passenger coach and five sleepers held to the rails despite the fact that the right-of-way was torn up and the entire train was rocking from side to side. Workers in the mail car were thrown to the floor but beyond a few bruises were otherwise unhurt. Passengers however, were badly jolted but it is understood that none of them was injured. Among passengers Among the well-known people who left Ottawa last evening on the train were: Arthur Slaght, K.C., M.P. of Toronto, who was in Ottawa yesterday in connection with a court case; R. McIntyre and  J.J. Beachen, both of Toronto and C.H. Coleman of the Hamilton Harbor Commission. Calls for assistance were at once phoned to Ottawa and Smiths Falls and operating officials of the Canadian Pacific ordered auxiliary engines to the scene of the accident from Smiths Falls and from Ottawa. Delayed Three Hours. By three o'clock this morning, the three derailed cars were back on the track and the train pulled off for Bedell where other equipment stood ready to rush the now three-hour late train on her way to Toronto. Despite the fact that there was a drenching rain pouring down, the crews worked like heroes in an effort to get the train back on the track with all possible speed. Believe rail broken. Officials at the scene of the accident state that they were of the opinion that the accident was the result of a broken rail. They all announced themselves as being extremely glad that the engine itself has not left the rails as this would probably have resulted in a serious loss of life. A C.P.R. official from Hull, Que., who was on the train en route to Toronto on his holidays, took charge of the operations at the accident. The crew in charge of the train were conductor D. Kennedy of Toronto and engineer G. Yelland of Ottawa. Ten feet of rail were found to be split when an examination was made following the accident. The wheels of the three cars ripped fishplates and ties for 400 yards along the track. Ottawa Journal  Thursday 1 October 1936 Three Hours' Delay in Toronto Run Results. Due to the derailment of three cars caused by a broken rail at mileage 10. between Gloucester and Manotick, at 11.50 o'clock Wednesday evening, The Ottawa-Toronto  pool train was delayed three hours. Officials state that the baggage, mail and express cars were partially derailed and were retumed to the tracks through the efforts of the train crew. Workers in the mail car were jolted, but no injuries were reported. The night pool train left Union Station at 1135 o'clock last night en route to its first stop at Kemptville.  The Canadian Pacific Railway Railway express car was suddenly derailed at 11 50. pulling a Canadian National express car and the mail car with it. The Engineer, G. Yelland of Ottawa, immediately braked the train. Ottawa and Smiths Falls were notified of the mishap and the Canadian Pacific operating officials ordered auxiliary engines to the scene, but the train crew managed to get the derailed cars back on the track, without any assistance. The crew worked in a downpour and no time was lost through utilization of standard equipment. The crew in charge of the train were Conductor D. Kennedy, of Toronto and Engineer G. Yelland. of Ottawa. Ten feet of rail were found to be split and the wheels of the cars ripped fish plates snd ties along the track at intervals for about 400 yards Ottawa Citizen 2 October 1936 Railway Commissionersr Probing Train Wreck The Board of Railway Commissioners, it was learned last night, is investigating the derailment of three cars on the Toronto-Ottawa pool train which occurred near Manotick, 16 miles south of Ottawa. A broken rail was said to have been the cause of the accident. The train crew was able to work the cars back onto the track without assistance of a wrecking crew summoned from Ottawa. The Board of Railway Commissioners yesterday afternoon issued the following statement: "The pool train No. 33 was derailed just south of mileage 10 on the Prescott subdivision at 12.05 a.m. today. The baggageman felt the train, give a bad jolt and he applied the emergency brake. A broken rail was found about ten car-lengths behind the train. The second, third and fourth cars from the engine, consisting of mail, baggage and express cars, were derailed. All were re-railed by the crew at 2.40 a.m. There were no personal injuries." Ottawa Journal  Friday 2 October 1936 Board Investigates Derailment The Board of Railway Commissioners, it was learned Thursday, is investigating the partial derailment of three cars on the Toronto-Ottawa pool train which occurred near Manotlck, 16 miles south of here. An official of the board said three baggage and express cars ware derailed. No one was injured. A broken rail was said to have been the cause of the accident. Tha train crew was able to work the cars back on to the track without assistance of a wrecking crew summoned from Ottawa..

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Updated 30 April 2021