1971 Sticklands Four-Train Collision

Synopsis
on January 15th, 1971, four separate trains collided on the Stickburg Stickville & Sticktropolis Railway. While there were no casualties, a thorough investigation was done by the Government and the railroad to find the cause. This is what they determined happened:

What Happened:
Stickburg Stickville & Sticktropolis Locomotive #3 was making up it's train on the SS&S Mainline at a spur line of the Morada Zinc Co. The #3 had picked up a pair of ore cars and was just backing onto it's train when Engineer Fred Phelps heard the sound of a train whistle, followed by the noise of screeching brakes. He looked back just in time to see 2-8-0 #5, which was on lease from the neighboring Sticklands Central Railroad, piloted by Engineer Louis Freeland, Slam into the rear of the Local. Phelps was thrown clear as #3 was shoved off the tracks and promptly tipped over, and the caboose on the local was obliterated (thankfully nobody was inside) Vernon had just come around a sharp curve, and had "Wiped the clock" (releasing steam and applying brakes) but had hit the stalled train at 58 Miles per hour. as Phelps was tending to Freeland, SS&S 4-4-0 #77, with Ed Boston at the Throttle, Thundered into town from the other direction with a mixed freight. Boston had seen the trains from a distance, and was already on laying on his Emergency Brakes, but ended up hitting the front car of the local at 25 MPH, demolishing it and derailing his engine. Before a flag could be put out, ANOTHER train, loaded with 26 cars of oil, came into town behind Freeland's Train. it was headed by 2-8-2 #70, and it's Engineer, Clarence Fairbanks, saw only the rear of Freeland's caboose sticking out from behind the curve when he was no more than a few thousand feet from it. The Mikado Applied its Brakes, but it was too late. #70 slammed into Vernon's Caboose (which was also Vacant) and catapulted into the ocean, followed by a few of the oil cars. as all three crews tried to figure out what was going on, The fourth train, the SS&S's Crack Train, the "Ticonderogan", Came in from behind Vernon's Train. Ruth Haskins, the Stickville Station Agent, ran up to a switch near the depot and threw it. the engine pulling it, 4-4-2 #83, roared into the switch, too fast to take the curve and flew off of the tracks, sliding along the Tracks (and destroying them in the process) and hit the rear of Vernon's Train Sideways at about 47 MPH. this destroyed Vernon's Caboose and telescoped 3 of Vernon's Boxcars in front of it. Meanwhile, The Ticonderogan's empty Cars careened off of the tracks behind it and flew in every which way. when the smoke cleared, five locomotives, 63 cars, and four crews lay sprawled about Stickville. despite all of the wreckage and chaos, the only injury was a broken leg, which Freeland obtained when he jumped from #5's cab.

Aftermath of the Wreck
The Leading Cause of this wreck was the fact that All four Trains were Running off Schedule. #3 had been set back by a hot journal several miles back, and was due to highball once the local was completed. The #83 was running ahead of schedule to try and put distance between it and the Oil Train. The Oil train was an Unscheduled Extra, and had anticipated that the 83 would be far ahead of them. The Ticonderogan was also an extra move, as it was running with no passengers and was being moved south to Sticktropolis for it's northbound run the next morning. it had been told that all trains would be on sidings to let it through, but was NOT aware of the oil train. In the end, The Railroad was also placed responsible for not installing signals along key points on the railroad. it took 2 weeks to get service on the railroad restored, and new safety protocol was put into practice on the first day of operations following the wreck.