1883 Tehachapi train wreck

1883 railroad accident in California February 2025 1883 Tehachapi train wreck The disaster on the Southern Pacific Railroad at Tehachapi Pass, January 19th 1883.jpg 280 Depiction of the accident in the Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (February 1883) January 20, 1883 12:00 PM Tehachapi, California United States Southern Pacific Railroad Derailment of a runaway train, fire Air brakes were released, suspected robbery 15 12 The Tehachapi train wreck occurred on January 20, 1883, near Tehachapi, California, when a runaway train rolled down a slope into a curve and derailed. The accident resulted in the deaths of 15 people, including former Wisconsin congressman Charles H. Larrabee and Maria Guirado, the wife of the former California Governor John G. Downey. Governor Downey was also injured in the wreck. Incident On January 20, 1883, a 4-8-0 steam locomotive had just climbed a steep peak in Tehachapi, California. However, when the train was left unattended, it became a runaway and derailed along the same track that it had previously climbed. Both sleeper cars, an express car, and the mail and baggage coaches derailed and ignited a fire. Fifteen were killed.https://www.lawesterners.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/169-FALL-1987.pdf The Tehachapi Train Wreck of 1883 Wade Kittell Los Angeles Corral Fall 1987 January 18, 2018 Investigation into the incident revealed that two strangers had boarded the train. It is believed that these two men were robbers that had lost control of the train and would also die in the disaster. Haine Edgar A. Train Wrecks Cranbury, New Jersey Cornwall Books 1994 51 PACIFIC SLOPE - California: The Tehachapi Tragedy - Proofs that the Disaster was Caused by Robbers https://www.newspapers.com/image/42179348/?terms=Tehachapi+train+wreck February 25, 2018 The Record-UnionNewspapers.com January 26, 1883 1, col References Category:Railway accidents in 1883 Category:Accidents and incidents involving Southern Pacific Railroad Category:1883 in California Category:1883 disasters in the United States Category:January 1883 in the United States