|
|
| Re: PHOTOS from this date in HIStory - May 25, 2008 - Dyre Avenue Line (1397289) | |||
 |
|||
| Home > SubChat | |||
|
[ Read Responses | Post a New Response | Return to the Index ] |
|
||
|
Re: PHOTOS from this date in HIStory - May 25, 2008 - Dyre Avenue Line |
|
|
Posted by Steve B-8AVEXP on Thu May 26 21:08:16 2016, in response to PHOTOS from this date in HIStory - May 25, 2008 - Dyre Avenue Line, posted by terRAPIN station on Wed May 25 13:26:17 2016. This date lives in infamy in Chicago's history. For it was on May 25, 1950 that Green Hornet 7078 went through an open switch at 62nd Place and State Street and slammed into a gasoline truck, setting off a massive fireball. 33 people were killed including the motorman and gasoline truck driver. The car itself was torched, leaving a warped metal shell. Despite this, it served as a parts donor for sister car 7205, which had wrapped itself around a lamppost at State and Root almost a year earlier. I often wondered what parts could have possibly been reused, given the extent of damage to 7078. Since 7205's frame was bent, it's possible that 7078's frame may have been salvaged. Last summer at IRM, I bought an excellent book about Chicago's PCC streetcars, part of a series of books titled, Chicago's Streetcar Pictorial. This book is LOADED with color photos of Blue Geese and Green Hornets; it's broken down route by route that operated PCCs. There are several photos of 7205 after it had been rebuilt, one dating from 1951.The disastrous collision with the gasoline truck is mentioned. Interestingly it talks about something that is not covered in the book, The Green Hornet Streetcar Disaster. Supposedly the ill-fated motorman was told during the course of that run that he'd be going straight through at State and 63rd. For those of you who are familiar with that area (it's just north of the Skyway entrance), there is a railroad underpass that both State and 63rd descend to. On that date in 1950, a heavy rainstorm flooded the underpass and as a result, Broadway-State streetcars were turned at 62nd Place. A pump crew was dispatched to pump out the water and they were almost finished when 7078 came hurtling down State St. Little did the motorman know that the switch to the turnaround loop was plugged open. A flagman frantically tried to the motorman's attention to slow down, but for whatever reason the car kept right on going and hit the open switch at a high rate of speed. My aunt remembers coming home from work that evening and being told by my grandmother about that accident. |
|
(There are no responses to this message.)
|
|