1970 Cars Auto Transport Train Crash

[Mr70]

Anyone ever hear stories of a waiting customer or Pontiac dealership whos' cars were on board this train back then?

~<span style="font-style: italic">In 1969,an Illinois Central coal train was speeding down the mainline outside of Riverdale,Illinois.Ahead of this coal train was a string of autoracks being pulled by a switcher.Before the crash,the coal train became a runaway and slammed into the rear of the autoracks,throwing twelve of them aside before the lead loco came to rest under the thirteenth one.Around 100 coal cars jackknifed into a space of about one city block,a bridge was collapsed in the wreck,the lead unit which was a GE U25B locomotive,was totally destroyed.The crew members on the coal train all died and were later found buried under all of the coal that was piled up where the crash began.</span>

This was also the sight of Potowatami Village before the area was completely resettled.The founder of Dolton Il. and Riverdale Il. had homes on this point of land,near the wreck of the train.Probably operated the first toll bridge here too.