Friday, March 25, 1949 The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Page 11, col. 5

50-car freight rips rail line, wrecks 20 autos

More than 3,000 feet of rail ties were torn up, five freight cars were smashed and 20 motor trucks were badly damaged when a 50-car CNR freight jumped the track beneath the Bloor St. viaduct yesterday. No one was injured.

Railway officials, at a loss to explain the accident, said the derailment occurred as the westbound freight ran over the Winchester St. crossing. It is believed to have struck a sunken road bed. Cars leaned to the left side of the track and one skipped off the rail, tearing into the road ties as the train sped along the main line.

Some distance beyond the viaduct the freight finally buckled, strewing five cars over the tracks. Extent of the loss was not known.

Traffic was held up for several hours as wrecking crews worked to re-rail the freight and clear the tracks.

Officials of the CNR launched an immediate probe, questioning crew members but exact cause of the accident remained a mystery. One spokesman said it could have happened 40 different ways.

Less than an hour before a 12-car passenger express had passed over the same line without mishap.

The train was in the charge of Engineer A R. Barrie and Conductor R. Drayton of Toronto.

Don Valley Wreck—View from the Prince Edward Viaduct shows pile-up of cars carrying new motor trucks in fast CNR freight train yesterday.

Railways: C.N.Rys.

Stations: Rosedale

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