Area residents escape injury in train wreck

Three area residents were involved in a rear end collision between a fast freight and a passenger train at the CNR station, Concord, Saturday.

The wreck occurred at 6.53, early Saturday evening, just as the southbound passenger trainNo. 44, Huntsville to Toronto, was due at Concord 6:43 p.m. was pulling out of the station.

Frank G. Dyke, Rockport Cr., Richmond Hill and Stan Dennis, 94 Cartier Cr., Richmond Hill, both mail clerks, and Mrs. Nancy Reade were all involved in the crash.

Concord station is about 300 yards north of Highway 7, between Keele and Dufferin Streets. The passenger train was en route from Huntsville to Toronto.

Four postal clerks were on their feet in the mail car, just behind the locomotive of the passenger train when the crash occurred.

This is the second accident of this type I've been in, Mr. Dennis said. My chief impression was of noise and dirt. Flying objects coming off the wall created the greatest hazard.

Mr. Dyke said he was sorting mail when something fell down from the ceiling and cut his head.

He and F. L. Raper of Morningside Ave., Swansea, both suffered scalp cuts, after being thrown around inside the mail car by the impact. They were taken to North York's Branson hospital and released after treatment.

The two other clerks, Mr. Dennis and J. B. Smith, Albert Dr., escaped with bruises.

Passengers were forced to wait in the coach until after 8.30 p.m. when a fleet of 15 taxicabs arrived to take them to their destinations.

The demolished locomotive, a refrigerator car and an empty sleeper car came to rest on an overpass over the highway.

Vaughan Township police closed the highway for more than a mile between Keele and Dufferin Streets when CNR officials feared part of the wreckage would fall on the highway.

Three cars and the locomotive of the freight train where derailed. Two refrigerator cars and the sleeper car at the rear of the passenger train also left the track, ripping up about 200 feet of rail.

The passenger car did not leave the track.

Cab drivers, Vaughan Township and CNR police and railway officials helped passengers as they slid down a steep, brush-covered embankment to the waiting taxis lining the highway.

Sonny Greenberg, manager of Yellow Cabs, said the call for help after 7.30 p.m. emptied the company's north-end stations of cabs. Drivers went to the scene without any thought of payment, he said.

Railways: C.N.Rys.

Stations: Concord