Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1969, June 14 - A seized wheel bearing derailed 34 cars at Morrisburg, Canadian National Kingston subdivision.

(Shown above) is the wreckage of a number of box-cars which were derailed one mile north of Morrisburg, Ont. Thousands of popsicles were strewn about the area, as well as lumber, newsprint and cement. The train was travelling West to Chicago, via Toronto when the derailment occurred in early afternoon. No injuries were reported. (UPI Photo.) Estimate Damage at $500,000. MORRISBURG, Ont. Derailment of 34 cars of a 107-car freight train one mile north of this Seaway Valley town has been blamed on a seized wheel-bearing. Damage was estimated by one Ottawa newspaper at $500,000. The 34 derailed cars were stacked like cordwood and 300 yards of the Canadian National tracks were torn up in the spectacular accident. The jack-knifing effect of the crash crushed, overturned and tore up many of the loaded 34 derailed cars. The freight was westbound from Montreal through Toronto to Chicago. Train engineer Wilfred Kelly of Brockville, said he had no idea what caused the derailment. "The wreck occurred 52 cars behind the engine," he said "With all the noise an engine makes, we were half a mile away before someone shouted at us to look back. All we could see were clouds of dust and a vague mass of wreckage. The wrecked box ears were located in the middle of the mile-long train, with both ends remaining on the track."

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Updated January 2014