VGN 800

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Wed Mar 9 19:48:45 EST 2011



Ken,

Go ahead and submit your article. I would love to read it.

Greg Harrod
============================

In a message dated 3/9/2011 1:36:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

Thanks to Harry for his detailed report. I thought I might add a few
things.


Coming up on April 1, will be the 70th anniversary of the 800 blowing up
at Stewartsville, Virginia about 5:20 AM.


This tragedy killed all three crew members, Engineer John Dudding, 46,
Fireman Mead Brown, 25 and head brakeman Hollie Harrision, 26, less than a
week short of his 27th birthday. It would be hoped that all three died
instantly, as they were thrown great distances and dismembered by the violence of
the explosion.


While the Federal Investigators pinned the cause on a worn and pitted
injector nozzle, causing the injector to fail. They also pulled a large
quantity of cinders, coal and mud dredged out of the tender tank, which could
easily have caused the valve to the injector to have stopped up. The injector
had been reported as problematic in a number of inspection reports both at
Victoria and at Roanoke in the months prior to the explosion, but apparently
tested fine at Roanoke early in the morning of April 1, 1941.


Of course, we'll never know exactly why the crew allowed the water to get
so low in the boiler. It could have been inexperience, as Harry pointed out,
Brown had only hired out on the Virginian about 6 months previously, the
crew could have been tired or not paying attention. Another accident with
less dramatic consequences a few years ago on the Gettysburg Railroad, found
that the water glass could have had some debris in it giving a false
indication of water in the gauge when there was none. One of the photos shows the
water column and glass, relatively intact I am certain the investigators
checked it, but the violence of the explosion could have dislodged any
debris in the line.


I've written a rather lengthy story on the 800's fateful trip, if there is
any interest, I'll submit it for the Arrow.


Ken Miller



On Mar 6, 2011, at 8:17 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:



I've not stayed abreast of everything. What led to its explosion?



Kim
Huntsville

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