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- The Late Collision - Providence & Worcester R.R., August 12, 1853 - Accidents were frightfully common on American railroads in the mid-19th century. Cheap construction, crude equipment, poor signaling, and uncoordinated timekeeping all contributed to the problem. This illustration shows a wreck on the Providence & Worcester Railroad in 1853. Two passenger trains failed to meet at a passing siding as scheduled. They collided head-on, killing 13 and seriously injuring 30 more.
- August 12, 1853
- Collections - Artifact
The Late Collision - Providence & Worcester R.R., August 12, 1853
Accidents were frightfully common on American railroads in the mid-19th century. Cheap construction, crude equipment, poor signaling, and uncoordinated timekeeping all contributed to the problem. This illustration shows a wreck on the Providence & Worcester Railroad in 1853. Two passenger trains failed to meet at a passing siding as scheduled. They collided head-on, killing 13 and seriously injuring 30 more.
- Two Trains on the Outskirts of the City, "Boston," circa 1840 - Two railroads are seen outside Boston, Massachusetts, in this circa 1840 view. The rail lines intersect by means of a diamond crossing, a special section of track that allows the rails of one line to "pass through" those of the other.
- circa 1840
- Collections - Artifact
Two Trains on the Outskirts of the City, "Boston," circa 1840
Two railroads are seen outside Boston, Massachusetts, in this circa 1840 view. The rail lines intersect by means of a diamond crossing, a special section of track that allows the rails of one line to "pass through" those of the other.