Jason Lee Davis' RailFan Pages -
Cotton Belt/Southern Pacific
Ridgeway, Texas Derailment
April 21, 1979

The southbound Blue Streak (343) met an unfortunate fate on the evening of April 21, 1979.  A fouled switch at the East (RR North) end of the Ridgeway Siding affected a disastrous chain of events resulting in a significant derailment with a substantial number of cars being thrown from the tracks.  Ridgeway was/is the siding/community between Sulphur Springs and Commerce.  The photos of the clean-up efforts were taken the following day on April 22, 1979 by my mother, LeNita Joyce Davis, and myself.  Click on the photo for a LARGE version of the image.

So, how'd this happen?  I never heard the final report, but, the word going around at the time was that the north switch was sabotaged.  A couple of individuals were reportedly seen tampering with the switch prior to the derailment.  Maybe someone else know more?

What's the scene like today?  Well, there is no evidence left of the derailment.  Oddly enough, the little concrete "phone booth" at the affected end of the siding was not harmed during the accident and is still standing proudly beside the track.  The siding was removed a few years ago.  Toward the end of SP operation of the line, the track was used for car storage, often splitting the grade crossing and making crossing the tracks at the unlit crossing very dangerous from the north "blind" side.  I recall several instances approaching the crossing at night to find a camouflaged set of empty flats crossing the road.

 Page/Photographs ©1979-2005 Jason Lee Davis unless otherwise credited.
(Otherwise credited refers to the 35mm photo scans on this page.  Thanks mom!)

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