Moline Helper

[W. Gray]

Here is a second hand story put out by James Burke of Climax concerning the Moline Helper. Maybe someone from Moline or Grenola has heard about this?

The date is unknown but it was before his time and he got the story from his uncle who worked for the Santa Fe.

The Moline Helper assisted a freight to Grand Summit. The helper was supposed to wait at Grand Summit before backing to Moline because a westbound passenger train was scheduled to come through behind them.

Either the engineer or the fireman, somehow misread their time by one hour.

The engineer began backing the Moline Helper to Moline thinking they were clear all the way.

Somewhere between Grand Summit and Moline, the helper thunderously crashed into the passenger train.

The firemen on both the helper and the passenger locomotive were able to jump and survive. Both engineers were killed.

He provides no other information

[D.ElroyM.]

My Granddad, who worked on the Sante Fe Section Crew out of Moline for many years, told me that the assent from the Caney River bridge until it tops out at Grand Summit is the longest continuess rail upgrade in the state.

[frawin]

The thing I remember the most about the Train activity in Moline was there always seemed to be more Train activity there than at Howard the other thing was one time we stopped to see my Brother Bob at Ames, while we visited Myrna took our two boys, 10 and 12 over to the Train Track, there was a Train there and the Engineer was Monte Edwards a friend of my Mother-in- Law from Elk Falls, he asked the boys if they wanted to Blow the Whistle, they got up in the Train and Blowed the Whistle and acted like they were the Engineer, they have never Forgotten that.

[jarhead]

Monty, my dad, might of let the boys toot the horn but he was never an engineer---conductor and brakeman  for almost 40 years Not nitpicking, just setting to record straight.

[frawin]

Jar, sorry, I guess I assumed because he was the only one up in the Train he was. I am sure he was a good friend of my Mother-in-Law. She was an Elk Falls Girl and I think your Father was also.