Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1900, August 30 - Derailment to a Mixed Train at Cascades, Ottawa and Gatineau Railway, no injuries

Ottawa Journal 31 August 1900 The mixed train due Ottawa at 6.15 left Cascades on time and started up the steep grade about a mile south of the village.  The train was very heavy consisting of the usual passenger coaches, two box cars, five flat cars loaded with syenite, and a big load of cedar poles.  The poles were, as usual, loaded on two flat cars, part on one and part on the other.  Just at the top of the grade and as the train was turning a curve, the piece of wood that, on such occasions, is placed between the two cars with the poles to steady them, fell out and dropped on to the rail. The front trucks of the hind car carrying the poles were thrown off the rails and the train, which was laboring up the grade, came to a standstill about four car-lengths further on.  There was very little jar and the passengers were not even shaken up. But the removal of the big cedar poles proved to be a very slow job for the few train hands available.  As a result of the incident, the passengers of both the up and the down trains had about four hours wait. The up train ran to where the down train was stalled.  When the poles were removed and the car replaced, the down train ran back to Cascades crossing, the up train went on. Ottawa Citizen 31 August 1900 A couple of cars on an incoming freight train on the Ottawa and Gatineau railway jumoed the track at the Cascades last evening  and both the north and south-bound trains were delayed for a couple of hours. Ottawa Free Press 1 September 1900 Two freight cars on the down train on the Ottawa and Gatineau Valley railway were derailed last evening at the Cascades.  The cars were loaded with cedars.  No damage was done.  Both the up and down trains were, however, delayed some four hours by the accident.

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Updated 11 April 2024