In front of the Yuma, Colorado train depot, approximately 50 train cars derailed, demolishing the building. The author's grandfather was the conductor.
For more details, read History below.
Demolished Depot
Crowd Gathers Around Depot
Aftermath of Derailment
Twisted Rail
What's Left
of Depot's Roof
Pile of Freight Cars
Depot Shed
1947 Train/Depot Collision - On a Sunday morning in 1947, a CB&Q steam powered train derailed in front of the Yuma, Colorado train depot.
According to Conductor Les Dowling, approximately 50 cars derailed with a number of them plowing into the sides of the two-story building.
A young boy was folding his stack of newspapers in the depot's lobby when he saw a metal car ripping through the wooden framework. He tried to out run the car but tripped and fell into a wide crack on the depot's south side, an accident that would ultimately save his life as a train car skidded to a stop over him, without touching him.
Upstairs, where the ticket agent and his wife lived, the couple were getting ready for church when the entire floor collapsed. They escaped unharmed.
Two of the derailed cars were carrying tallow (lard). As the day warmed, the tons of grease melted and literally flowed down the main street in front of the depot. The town would smell of rotting lard for a week.
