[trebb]

Whenever I see pictures of derailments, I'm always amazed that there are not more fatalities. Nobody wears seat belts on trains.

I saw a cargo train derail in Rochester NY in the early '70s. Only moving 30 mph or so in city limits and cars were leaping straight up and coming down every which way. Having seen one in process, I'm even more amazed at the low number of deaths.

[Calvin Locke]

A relative was drafted at the end of WWII. His train to basic training in some Southern state crashed/derailed going into the station. The station burned down.

He couldn't remember what type of engine it was, and I think he said there weren't any serious injuries.

I knew a guy that was on a commuter train that was rammed from behind in a tunnel going into Boston. His injuries amounted to a dry cleaning bill for his suit from smoke grime and smell.