Pennsylvania Railroad Wreck at Mile Post #55
Photos Owned & Submitted by Jim Gelser - Captions are credited to Jim.
"These photos were taken of a wreck at mile Post #55 just south of Deep Cut (Town of Portage).
I understand that there were 3 men killed, the engineer, fireman and the brakeman.
There had been a washout and the engineer had missed the signal at Deep Cut and went on to meet it's end. As the locomotive fell the tender and railroad cars followed.
I went to the Nunda Library and searched the Nunda News for the years 1918, 1919 with no results.
One of the photos in Dad's collection has the year 1918 written on the reverse side, 3 men killed. The part about missing the signal at Deep Cut is from another persons story as he interpreted from an article he said was in the Nunda News archives. (I should have asked more questions when I had the chance)"
The photos "01 & 03" were taken with a film camera of the original photos. I reproduced them from a 35mm slide. As you can see they are of very poor quality. I do not have the originals."
#1 shows the locomotive and a boxcar
#2 appears to be the impression in the earth that the locomotive, tender and railroad cars made.
#3 shows the wreckers lifting the tender.
#4 is a part of the washout.