One of the most infamous publicity stunts of all time, “The Crash at Crush,” took place about 3 miles south of West, Texas, featuring two locomotives of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Company (known as M-K-T or “Katy”) intentionally set on a head-on collision course on Sept. 15, 1896.
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Where did the Crash at Crush take place?
One of the most infamous publicity stunts of all time, “The Crash at Crush,” took place about 3 miles south of West, Texas, featuring two locomotives of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Company (known as M-K-T or “Katy”) intentionally set on a head-on collision course on Sept. 15, 1896.

What is the deadliest accident in Amtrak history?
Forty-seven people were killed and 103 more were injured. To date, it is both the deadliest train wreck in Amtrak’s history and the worst rail disaster in the United States since the 1958 Newark Bay rail accident in which 48 lives were lost….
Big Bayou Canot rail accident | |
---|---|
Passengers | 220 |
Deaths | 47 |
Injured | 103 |
Where is crush Texas?
A plaque fifteen miles north of Waco in McLennan County marks the site of the “Crash at Crush.” On September 15, 1896, more than 40,000 people flocked to this spot to witness one of the most spectacular publicity stunts of the nineteenth century-a planned train wreck.
What was the result of the staged crash at Crush?
Miraculously, only three people were killed out of an estimated 50,000 spectators: a boy who had climbed into the tree near the tracks, a man standing between two women who were both unharmed, and another woman. Six more were injured and required medical attention.

How many trains derail a year in the US?
Examining derailments over four decades Over the past decade, there have been about 31 derailments per year, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
What is the most famous train crash?
The Great Train Wreck of 1918 occurred on July 9, 1918, in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Two passenger trains, operated by the Nashville, Chattanooga and St….
Great Train Wreck of 1918 | |
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Country | United States |
Operator | Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway |
Incident type | Collision |
Cause | Human error |
Will a penny derail a train?
As someone who works on the railroad, you’ve probably heard about the myth that a single penny or quarter could derail a train. The good news for you is that putting a penny on the tracks isn’t likely to cause the train any trouble at all.
What does a locomotive do?
A locomotive is a specialized type of train car which is used to run the whole train. The locomotive is self-propelled, generating energy through the burning of fuel, the use of electricity, magnetic levitation, or other methods. Locomotives can be used to either push or pull train cars.
What is the probability of dying in a train?
The Odds of Dying in Train-Related Accidents Although fatalities are not as common, serious injuries in train crashes happen abundantly. According to Statista, you have a one in 243,756 chance of dying in a train crash as a passenger.
What does salt do to a railroad track?
Never dump salt directly on railroad crossings. Salt causes circuitry wiring to short out, causing malfunctions to the lights and gates.