| CRI&P E8 656 at Eola, Illinois on October 11, 1964, Kodachrome by Cjuck Zeiler. This is the remains of Rock Island's E8 number 656, struck at about 52 mph by CB&Q's Train Number 3 at Montgomery, Illinois on September 27, 1964. The Rock Island train (combined CRI&P Trains 4 and 10, with 656 leading) was detouring over the CB&Q as a result of a bridge problem on their tracks into Chicago, and was waiting for the CB&Q train to clear. A hand written note was attached to the indicator board in the tower at Montgomery advising the operator of an issue with the switch machine and indicator lights, but it was still possible to set up a clear indication of signals, which were (at the time) not interlocked to the switch machine itself. At the time, Montgomery Tower was mechanically-controled interlocking (via pipes) with separate levers for the signal displays. The remains of the accident were shoved into a track at CB&Q's Eola Reclamation Plant for a couple of weeks while the investigation took place. |