Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1928, 14 August - CNR., No. 15 The International Limited, derailed at Aultsville.  No Injuries

Ottawa Journal 14 August 1928 Crashed into freight train on the sidting Crack International Limited figures in accident at Aultsville Passengers all escaped injury 5 O'clock despatch Brockville Ont. August 14th. The International Limited, crack Canadian National Train, en route from Montreal to Chicago, was derailed at noon today at Aultsville Station when, it is asserted in reports from that place, it struck an open crossover switch and piled into the middle of a freight train standing on the east bound track. Cars attached to the freight train were, in turn, thrown against a string of boarding cars which was stationed on a siding, the result being that both tracks of the main line were blocked. Details of the wreck of available here are still fragmentary, but all reports agree that no person on the train met with injury. Official Statement Montreal, Que., Aug. 14 The following statement was given out by Canadian National Railway headquarters here today: "Train No. 15, the International Limited, which left Montreal for Chicago at 10 a.m. today, side-swiped a freight train at a crossover switch at Aultsville at 11:45 a.m. Complete information was lacking, but apparently the freight was taking a siding and had not quite cleard the main track when hit. Routed through Ottawa. The locomotive and baggage car of train number 15 and four cars of the freight were derailed. No person was injured. Passengers were transferred around the derailment and trains detoured via Napanee and Ottawa. Wrecking Crews were ordered out and the track will be clear late this afternoon or early this evening. Montreal Gazette 15 August 1928 TRAM (sic) HITS OPEN SWITCH No injuries reported - both tracks are blocked. Brockville, August 14th. - the International Limited, crack Canadian National Train, en route from Montreal to Chicago, was derailed at noon today at Aultsville Station, when, it is asserted in reports from that place, it struck an open cross-over switch and piled into the middle of a freight train standing on the eastbound track. Cars attached to the freight train were, in turn, thrown against a string of boarding cars which was stationed on a siding, the result being that both tracks of the main line were blocked. Details of the wreck available here are still fragmentary, but all reports agree that no person on either train met with injury. Morrisburg Leader 17 August 1928 Trains Met at Crossover Through traffic over the main line of the Canadian National was resumed Tuesday night after employees of the system had build a new line of track around the scene of the wreck at Aultsville where at noon Tuesday passenger train no. 16 (the International Limited) side-swiped east-bound fast freight train no. 494, en route from Brockville to Montreal, as it was taking a cross-over switch, the locomotive and the baggage car of the Limited being derailed, as well as four cars attached to the freight. No person was injured. According to reports this accident was caused originally through the action of a motoring party passing directly in front of the freight train as it was taking to the eastbound track at Aultsville to permit the passage of the Limited over the single-track which is being operated between Morrisburg and that point while rock ballasting operations are in progress. The engineer at the throttle of the engine hauling the freight train, applied the emergency brakes, to avoid striking the automobile, and after having done so, found difficulty in lifting his heavy train of 93 loaded cars. In the meantime the International Limited, westbound, approached and the operator stationed at the cross-over switch is said to have given engineer James Talbot, of Montreal, the signal to proceed in the belief that the freight would clear the switch. This operation was completed save for four cars of the train with which the Limited travelling at a slow rate of speed, collided, throwing the heavy locomotive across both tracks and also derailing the baggage car. Four cars of the freight train also left the rails and piled up in a spill serious enough to tie up traffic for some hours.

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Updated 13 October 2021