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4K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  james brodie 
My Mother told a story on herself a few times about when she was about 9 or 10 years old, in 1919/1920. Her Mother and she were taking a trip via train from Kansas. The train was a freight train but paying passengers could ride in the caboose.

She said when they got on the caboose she occupied herself by swatting flys. She said the Conductor got on and told her that she had better sit down. She said that she thought: "Who does that ol' man think he is, telling me what to do." and that she continued to run around chasing flys, trying to stomp on them.

Then suddenly she found herself sitting on the floor. The train had started up and in taking out the slack had jerked the caboose right out from under her feet! She said that she was not only embarrassed, but her bottom hurt! So she got up and sat quietly in the seat next to her Mother.

She said that if the Conductor had told her anything else she would have paid attention to him!
 
I have a hard time believing there could be enough water in the superheaters to run the engine that long. Doubly so since it appears the engine slipped and then kind of recovered and then slipped more and for a longer time. Is there a full "official" (something other than hearsay, speculation and rummor) report someplace on the net?
 
Sounds like one of the good reasons to have a headend (smokebox mounted) throttle AFTER the superheater! I can see the inability to close the throttle all the way and so opening it again to slam it shut could just supply another slug of water to the superheater and repeat the run-away engine.

Of course, even an "Official" report does not guarantee the truth, nor remove speculation.

Thanks.
 
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