C&O Runaway Train on December 17th, 1970

[Blaze06]

A few years ago (probably 2013) I read a Trains Magazine article by Frank H Dewey about a C&O runaway train in Michigan that occurred in 1970 when a switch job hit a car and the occupants in said car stole the train and the author and other employees had to come up with as many ideas as they could to stop it and eventually it was stopped by the crew of train #134 and dragged back to Dean Yard in Midland, MI. The occupants in the cab were never found and presumably got away. I’ve been trying to find more info on this but no luck so far. If anyone has anything please respond to this as I really want to learn more about this event as it’s a way lesser known runaway train event similar to the CSX 8888 incident!

[DaveO]

a search finds the article was in Trains magazine April 2014 in case someone has it

[pudgy]

[SD80MAC]

Very interesting!

[MQT1223]

Quite a read...

What was the Wye in Evart for? Had no idea there was ever a wye here for anything, I assume an old branch?

[C&O Dispatcher]

Quite a read...

What was the Wye in Evart for? Had no idea there was ever a wye here for anything, I assume an old branch?

Not aware of any branch from Evart, but perhaps there was. Would have to research. However, the Ludington-Evart local used to use the wye every trip to turn his engine for the trip back to Ludington.

[Buster Manning]

Yep, you can see a trace of it south of the main behind where the Evart Industries plant was on the Historic Aerials website...

there used to be an old logging branch that left the main by the station and headed north right beside N. River St. and meandered north a ways back in the day....there were a couple of rail served industries inside city limits .....I seem to recall a lumber yard and a dairy plant...but the memories are fuzzy from back in the mid to late 70s' recollections

[C&O Dispatcher]

Not to get overly nostalgic, but quite a bit of the railroad I knew is now "just a trace in the woods" -- or a bike trail!