Wreck at Omemee

From the Robert Hope photo collection

On July 13th, 1940, CNR engineer Eddie McConnel gave Pacific 5590 her head westbound out of Peterborough on the Campbellford Subdivision. The train was #93; Belleville - Toronto via Peterborough and Lindsay.

Three miles east of Omemee the tracks cross Highway #7 at a grade crossing. On this particular occasion a gasoline tank truck operated by Imperial Oil was on the crossing at the time #93 reached it. The resulting collision destroyed the truck, spilling the load onto the track. The oil was ignited by the firebox of the locomotive and quickly spread to the part of the train which had come to reset on the crossing.

5590 came to rest almost upside down at the bottom of the low embankment with its train partially gutted behind but still standing upright and mostly still on the rails. The only fatality in the incident was the fireman who was trapped in the cab when the locomotive turned over and was severely scalded when a steam pipe burst. He died later in the hospital.

Railways: C.N.Rys.

Stations: Omemee

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