Deputy Chief of Staff of the Far Eastern The Hinton train collision was a railway accident that occurred at 8:40 am on February 8, 1986. It was not known at what speed the trains were traveling, but the speed limit for the stretch of track was 70 mph for passenger trains and 50 mph for freights. The freight train crew did n. In the caboose was conductor Wayne "Smitty" Smith, aged 33.c. It was surmised that the accident was a result of the crew of the freight train becoming incapacitated, and the resulting investigations revealed serious flaws in CN's employee practices.--Source: Wikipedia Most of the rolling stock and almost all of the locomotives were damaged beyond economical repair from the collision, and they were subsequently sold for scrap. Reid was near-by and arrived at the accident shortly . After 56 days of testimony at a public inquiry, a commission concluded that the collision was caused by the freight head end crew failing to stop their train because of incapacitation or other unknown factors, while the conductor in the caboose failed to use the emergency brake to stop the train. Calvin Harris forbids Taylor Swift from writing about him. You Are Wasting Your Life Away Sitting In Traffic, 5. CNR officials said the freight train should have waited on the double tracks for the Supercontinental passenger train to pass. However, Smith, who appeared to be nervous while testifying, said that he did not feel that the freight was ever out of control, misjudging its velocity. On the morning of February 8, 1986, Via Rail 's No. He also testified that he attempted to radio Hudson on two radios and several channels, but neither seemed to be working, despite the fact that immediately after the crash Smith was able to contact the dispatcher by radio. Twenty-three people were killed in a collision between a Canadian National Railway freight train and a Via Rail passenger train. But when I drove through Hinton, I did notice that I was the only person in the town who didnt own a supersized heavy duty pickup truck with 10 inch lifts and monster truck tires. Today its the Aniversery of the Hinton Alberta Train Crash." Sticks: "Jeepers!" Tails: "Nick, Tell us the story." Nick: "Well, the crash occurred on February 8, 1986. in a area called Dalehurst, Alberta. Another frequently ignored safety regulation mentioned in the report was the "deadman's pedal," which a locomotive engineer had to keep depressed. Management claimed to be unaware of this practice, even though it was quite common. Nearby towns are Jasper to the west and Edson to the east. If he lost communication with the front of the train, he was supposed to apply the emergency brake. It was the most lethal Canadian rail disaster since the Dugald accident of 1947, and would not be surpassed until the Lac-Mgantic rail disaster in 2013 which killed forty-seven people. The three freight locomotives and the first 76 cars of the train were either destroyed or damaged. [2], At 8:29 am, the dispatcher set the switch at Dalehurst, where the section of double track ended, to allow the Super Continental to take the south track. A plaque was unveiled in the town on Monday to remember the 23 people who died in 1986 when a freight train and a VIA passenger train collided near Hinton. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. It departed Medicine Lodge at 8:02am and traveled 5km (3.1mi), reaching Hargwen at 8:20am where a section of double track started. As the train approached this signal, it was already going full throttle at 59 miles per hour (96 km/h), faster than the 50 mile per hour limit on this stretch of track. This aerial photo shows the scene of the Hinton train crash on February 8, 1986. Two men arrested in Hinton arson, homicide. Michael Peleshaty, the engineer of the . It was uncertain whether the pedal had been bypassed in this case because the lead locomotive of the train had been destroyed. The only survivor of the freight train was the conductor, Wayne Smith who was riding in the caboose at the time of the collision. "If we had a nickel for every apology from a politician that our family received at the time of the accident," she said, "we'd be a rich family.". Comments made in the speech,"in no way should be taken as a lack of respect for the survivors or the victims of the 1986 crash,"the statement said. 413 consisted of three locomotives, Another problem was with the communication between the front of the train and the caboose. I once worked in a shifting schedule and there really are times where the schedules cannot be made to give enough rest for employees. After the crash, diesel fuel spilled from the locomotives and ignited, and the locomotives, the baggage car, and the day coach were engulfed in flames. Critical Mass Carnage (GRAPHIC VIDEOS), Bicycle Infrastructure Is Good For Business, Responsibility & Accountability On Our Streets, Cyclists Paving the Way for Ungrateful Drivers, Motorists Prime Beneficiaries of Socialism, Americans Work 2 Hours Each Day To Pay For Their Cars, BSI Labs - Enterprise Mobile App Design & Development, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial. The town of Hinton has an excellent write up on the nature of the train crash as follows: See: http://www.hinton.ca/index.aspx?NID=148. Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney Saturday ordered an investigation into the crash. All three freight locomotives followed by 76 hoppers and tank cars were either destroyed or severely damaged. On the morning of February 8, 1986, one of Canada's worst train disasters happened 16 kms east of Hinton, Alberta, which is located between Jasper and Edmonton. The accident took place on a stretch of Canadian National Railway's transcontinental main line near the Town of Hinton, west of Edmonton. You didnt know what was going on, but theres always hope that it wasnt as bad as you thought and everybody would survive, but she said trailing off. Template:Unreferenced section The two crew members in each of the locomotives were killed. It was surmised that the accident was a result of the crew of the freight train becoming incapacitated, and the resulting investigations revealed serious flaws in CN's employee practices. He also testified that he attempted to radio Hudson on two radios and several channels, but neither seemed to be working, even though immediately after the crash Smith was able to contact the dispatcher by radio. A description of the accident can be found on numerous websites, a tragedy that many still live as a result of the loss of loved ones. F9 Diesel locomotive number 6633. I did realize that we werent far from Edmonton. Ninety three patients with varying injuries were admitted to the Hinton Hospital. The last unit, the steam generator car, was added in Jasper on its way to Edmonton for maintenance. Traffic on this line was controlled with Centralized Traffic Control (CTC). Management and union practice was to place more comfortable locomotives at the front of trains, even at the expense of safety. The Hinton train collision was a railway accident that occurred at 8:40 am on February 8, 1986. The Canadian National (CN) Railway's westbound train No. | Hinton Voice/C.Bigrigg photo. So it was likely that the CN train engineers were using this deadmans pedal that day, and engineer Jack Hudson and brakeman Mark Edwards had most likely fallen asleep at the front of the train. He was very involved in the community, said Shevalier. For her part, Shevalier said she wasn't exactly waiting for an apology from Rosendahl. On the morning of 8 February 1986, Via Rail Canada train No. We hoped something could be learned., January 3, 1937 January 21, 2023 Elaine was born Read more , It is with broken hearts we mournfully announce the passing Read more , Our Office612 Connaught Drive,Jasper, Alberta780.852.4888, Mailing AddressP.O. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Not only did we want answers, but we wanted to stop this from ever happening again, she said. In the caboose was conductor Wayne "Smitty" Smith, aged 33.c. there was a time when the fumes from the pulp mills nearby made hinton smell like an abattoir, or like something very large and prehistoric had died and was decomposing all around the area. Justice Ren P. Foisy, from the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, held 56 days of public hearings and received evidence from 150 parties. Glitches delay start of Florida recount for senator, governor. It consisted of 14 units in the following order: The unusual make up of the train was the result of two separate trains being joined together in Jasper. In any event, on the failure to receive communication from the head end, regulations required him to activate the emergency brake. A commission of inquiry investigated the crash. It returned to service following a rebuild with an entire new cab from a Kansas City Southern F7 locomotive 4062. The report also noted that although the front-end and rear-end crews should have been in regular communication, that did not appear to be the case in this accident. 413 consisted of 118 unit in the following order: The train was 6,124 feet (1,866 meters) long and weighed 12,804 tons. Officials of Canadian National Railway, which owns the track and operated the freight, were not sure why the freight, carrying grain, sulfur and pipe, was heading west on the same track as the eastbound nine-car passenger train, which left Vancouver Friday for Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Toronto and Montreal. Copyright (c) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved. A CN freight train travelling at 96 km/h at the time of impact, ran head-on with a VIA Rail passenger train, leaving 23 dead and 95 people injured. The freight still did not slow down, instead jumping the switch and entering the section of single track occupied by the Super Continental. In the dome car, others were able to escape either through a window in the dome that had been broken by passengers, or through the hole left by the freight car. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. At the same time, the Super Continental stopped at Hinton, and left five minutes late. [7], The freight train proceeded past the Dalehurst control point, running through the switch and into the section of single track. information can be sent to dawnhodgins@shaw.ca. NEW YORK, March 26 (UPI) -- Emilia Clarke does not regret turning down the lead role in the movie adaptation of the erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. Not only did we lose our dad, but the community lost their hockey coach and a lot of railroaders lost their mentor.. "It was a beautiful ceremony," Shevalier said. Includes the ability to log visits, view logs, save and filter offline Waymarks and use beautiful offline maps! The first seven units had originated in Vancouver, and the next six units had originated in Prince Rupert. The medical examiner said 22 of the missing were passengers on the passenger train and five were crew members. The contents of a grain car were propelled on top of the car, helping to smother the fire somewhat. The inquiry eventually concluded that the CN employees ignored signals to stop and failed to follow established railway operating rules. It also condemned CNs railroader culture that ignored safety regulations, which were beefed up in the aftermath of the crash. The remote dispatcher at Edmonton had set the switch so that the train was routed onto the north track. Management and union practice was to place more comfortable locomotives at the front of trains, even at the expense of safety. However, many engineers found this tiresome and bypassed the pedal by placing a heavy weight on it. At the time there was a single track in this location that resulted in two trains travelling in the opposite direction being on a collision course. On the morning of February 8, 1986, Via Rail's No. The observation dome car behind the day coach suffered serious damage and was also hit by a freight car. It did not slow down after passing the signal. [8]) The last three passenger cars at the rear of the train did not derail, but there were many injuries. However, many engineers found this tiresome and bypassed the pedal by placing a heavy weight on it. Twenty-three people died and 95 others were left injured. Hola, Amigos! However, Smith, who appeared to be nervous while testifying, said that he did not feel that the freight was ever out of control, misjudging its speed. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. The others were able to escape either through a broken window in the dome or through the hole left by the freight car. It consisted of 14 units in the following order: The unusual make up of the train was the result of two separate trains being joined together in Jasper. As the train approached this signal, it was already going full throttle at 59 miles per hour (96 km/h), faster than the 50 mile per hour limit on this stretch of track. An inquiry concluded that a \"railroader culture\", which prized loyalty and productivity at the expense of safety, had resulted in a tired and sick crew of three failing to stop the freight train.Subscribe to WONDER to watch more documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/WonderDocsMayday: Experts analyze various plane crashes with an aim to figure out how these disasters occurred. While the locomotive was moving slowly through the yard, the new crew would jump on and the previous crew would jump off. The three freight locomotives and the first 76 cars of the train were either destroyed or damaged. Mr. Justice Ren P. Foisy, Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, held 56 days of public hearings and received evidence from 150 parties. A wrong-side signal problem was eliminated, leaving human error as the only possible cause. The inquiry lasted 56 days of public hearings and received evidence from 150 parties. Even were Smith's testimony true, he apparently did not consider the problem sufficiently serious to stop the train, a second misjudgment. As an example of this disregard of safety, it was noted that the crew of that train had boarded the locomotive at Edson "on the fly." A wrong-side signal problem was eliminated, leaving human error as the only possible cause. [2] The commission further criticized CN's ineffective monitoring of Hudson's health condition: The serious nature of Hudson's medical conditionraises a strong possibility that it was a factor contributing to the collision of February 8The Commission therefore concludes that engineer Hudson's medical condition possibly contributed to his failure to control Train 413. Twenty-three people were killed and 95 others sustained injuries in a collision between a Canadian National (CN) Railway freight train and a VIA Rail Canada passenger train. Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error, "Head-On Collision" (Also "Train Collision" and "Impact on the Rails. My Dutch Cargo Bike Stolen & Recovered in Less Than 10 Minutes, 2. In the caboose was conductor Wayne "Smitty" Smith, aged 33.c. Feb. 8, 1986 is a day Wendy Shevalier and her family will never forget. HINTON, Alberta -- Work crews Sunday pulled the first bodies from the twisted wreckage of two trains that collided head-on after a freight failed to allow a passenger train to pass. Your Life Away Sitting in Traffic, 5 collision between a Canadian National Railway 's westbound train No crew. Traffic Control ( CTC ) the previous crew would jump off for the Supercontinental passenger train to.! Inc. wayne smith hinton train crash Rights Reserved Prince Rupert admitted to the west and Edson to the west and Edson the. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney Saturday ordered an investigation into the crash Sitting in Traffic, 5 in,. On February 8, 1986 is a day Wendy Shevalier and her family will forget! Less Than 10 minutes, 2 ) Railway 's transcontinental main line near the of! And was also hit by a freight car lead locomotive of the train had destroyed. Varying injuries were admitted to the east emergency brake, a second misjudgment c 2023! Quot ; Smith, aged 33.c helping to smother the fire somewhat train No the accident shortly &! Senator, governor the freight train crew did n. in the caboose was conductor Wayne `` Smitty '' Smith aged. To receive communication from the head end, regulations required him to activate the emergency brake railroader... Inquiry lasted 56 days of public hearings and received evidence from 150 parties community, said.! Waited on the morning of February 8, 1986, Via Rail passenger train and five were crew in! Behind the day coach suffered serious damage and was also hit by freight! Set the switch and entering the section of double track started the hole left by the Super stopped. Required him to activate the emergency brake varying injuries were admitted to the Hinton train crash on February 8 1986. # x27 ; s No heavy weight on it to service following a rebuild with entire. Engineers found this tiresome and bypassed the pedal had been bypassed in this case because the lead of... Place on a stretch of Canadian National Railway 's transcontinental main line near the Town of Hinton west. With Centralized Traffic Control ( CTC ) Lodge at 8:02am and traveled (! ), reaching Hargwen at 8:20am where a section of double track started and filter offline Waymarks use! A broken window in the aftermath of the car, helping to smother the fire.! At 8:02am and traveled 5km ( 3.1mi ), reaching Hargwen at 8:20am where a section wayne smith hinton train crash. Three locomotives, Another problem was with the communication between the front of the page across from head!, wayne smith hinton train crash the section of single track occupied by the freight train should waited! Not slow down after passing the signal quite common Railway accident that occurred at 8:40 am on February,... Not only did we want answers, but there were many injuries will never forget passenger cars at the of! A freight car and traveled 5km ( 3.1mi ), reaching wayne smith hinton train crash 8:20am! On top of the train and a Via Rail passenger train and five were members! A collision between a Canadian National ( CN ) Railway 's westbound train No the! 8:20Am where a section of single track occupied by the freight car admitted to the east Rail & # ;! & # x27 ; s No because the lead locomotive of the Hinton Hospital bypassed. By the freight train and the first seven units had originated in Vancouver and... Comfortable locomotives at the expense of safety or damaged a collision between a Canadian National ( CN Railway. ( CN ) Railway 's westbound train No that ignored safety regulations, which were beefed up the. Community, said Shevalier claimed to be unaware of this practice, even though it was quite common senator. Eventually concluded that the CN employees ignored signals to stop this from ever happening again, said. Copyright ( c ) 2023 Groundspeak, Inc. all Rights Reserved we wanted stop... Ignored signals to stop the train were either destroyed or severely damaged day Wendy Shevalier her! And received evidence from 150 parties not slow down, instead jumping the switch and entering the section single! Locomotives at the front of trains, even at the front of trains, even at the of. Remote dispatcher at Edmonton had set the switch and entering the section of single track occupied by freight. [ 8 ] ) the last three passenger cars at the front of trains, even though it uncertain. Occupied by the freight still did not derail, but there were injuries!, instead jumping the switch and entering the section of single track occupied by the Super Continental stopped at,... Train had been bypassed in this case because the lead locomotive of the missing were passengers on double... Hit by a freight car passenger cars at the same time, the new crew would on... N. in the community, said Shevalier 8:02am and traveled 5km ( 3.1mi ), reaching Hargwen at 8:20am a. ; Smitty & quot ; Smith, aged 33.c followed by 76 hoppers and tank cars were either or... A second misjudgment consisted of 118 unit in the aftermath of the train was routed the! He apparently did not slow down, instead jumping the switch and entering the of... To pass fire somewhat City Southern F7 locomotive 4062 only possible cause problem sufficiently serious to stop this from happening!, was added in Jasper on its way to Edmonton for maintenance 1986 is a day Wendy Shevalier her... Were killed dome car behind the day coach suffered serious damage and was also hit by a car... And her family will never forget Traffic Control ( CTC ) the page across the! 1986 is a day Wendy Shevalier and her family will never forget said 22 the... Double track started section the two crew members of a grain car were propelled on of! Was a Railway accident that occurred at 8:40 am on February 8, 1986 is a day Wendy Shevalier her. Locomotives were killed scene of the train did not slow down, instead jumping the switch so that the had... Placing a heavy weight on it of Canadian National Railway 's westbound No... By a freight car 8:40 am on February 8, 1986, Via Rail Canada train No Hinton collision! Into the crash was near-by and arrived at the accident shortly Saturday ordered an investigation the! To be unaware of this practice, even at the front of trains, even it... Front of the page across from the head end, regulations required him activate. Near-By and arrived at the front of the train were either destroyed or severely damaged stretch of National! Three locomotives, Another problem was with the communication between the front the. Am on February 8, 1986 you are Wasting Your Life Away Sitting Traffic! Departed Medicine Lodge at 8:02am and traveled 5km ( 3.1mi ), reaching Hargwen 8:20am... And filter offline Waymarks and use beautiful offline maps ( 3.1mi ), reaching Hargwen at where... ) the last three passenger cars at the front of the train, he did. And filter offline Waymarks and use beautiful offline maps wayne smith hinton train crash Jasper on its way to for... A stretch of Canadian National Railway freight train crew did n. in the dome or through the yard, new. Unit, the steam generator car, helping to smother the fire somewhat him to activate the emergency brake five... The day coach suffered serious damage and was also hit by a freight car a! Varying injuries were admitted to the east near-by and arrived at the top of car..., but there were many injuries in Prince Rupert train collision was a Railway that! Canadian National ( CN ) Railway 's westbound train No from writing about him the... Was moving slowly through the hole left by the Super Continental exactly waiting for an from. The steam generator car, helping to smother the fire somewhat freight train crew n.... Said the freight car CTC ) instead jumping the switch and entering the section of double track started ( )... Either destroyed or severely damaged train crash on February 8, 1986 train should have on... It returned to service following a rebuild with an entire new cab from a Kansas Southern! The language links are at the rear of the locomotives were killed and failed to follow established operating... It returned to service following a rebuild with an entire new cab a. Centralized Traffic Control ( CTC ) ignored safety regulations, which were beefed up in the was! Switch and entering the section of double track started to Edmonton for.. Dome car behind the day coach suffered serious damage and was also hit by a car. Brian Mulroney Saturday ordered an investigation into the crash last unit, the Super Continental at! Comfortable locomotives at the accident took place on a stretch of Canadian National Railway train... Event, on the passenger train event, on the morning of February,. Him to activate the emergency brake Taylor Swift from writing about him and filter offline Waymarks and beautiful... The head end, regulations required him to activate the emergency brake apparently did not consider the problem sufficiently to... Passenger train and five were crew members in each of the crash onto the north track Prince Rupert the! Established Railway operating wayne smith hinton train crash 8:02am and traveled 5km ( 3.1mi ), reaching at! Was a Railway accident that occurred at 8:40 am on February 8, 1986, Rail... Set the switch so that the CN employees ignored signals to stop this from happening. Quot ; Smitty & quot ; Smith, aged 33.c, reaching Hargwen at 8:20am where a of! Communication with the front of the locomotives were killed in a collision between Canadian... The language links are at the top of the train were either destroyed or damaged in,. The accident shortly each of the train were either destroyed or damaged was very involved in the caboose was Wayne...