Dugald train disaster

The Dugald rail accident was a head-on collision between two Canadian National passenger trains on September 1, 1947, in Dugald, Manitoba, Canada, resulting in the deaths of 31 people. BackgroundA westbound Canadian National Railways (CN) train, the Minaki Campers’ Special, operating as Passenger Extra 6001 West, was a seasonal excursion service carrying vacationers from the Minaki region of Northwestern Ontario on the Monday evening of the Labour Day holiday weekend. It had been given orders at Malachi, Ontario, 100 miles (160 km) east of Winnipeg, to meet train No. 4, the eastbound Continental Limited, at Vivian. These orders were later changed, so the meeting point was relocated 16 miles (26 km) westward for a meet at Dugald, 14 miles (23 km) east of Winnipeg. These second orders had been received at Elma, Manitoba. The eastbound train was led by a CN U-1-d-class 4-8-2 steam locomotive numbered 6046. Collision and fireBy the train order operation rules then in use, Extra 6001 would use the siding at the east switch of Dugald. By the air signal line, the train conductor reminded the engineer of the Dugald stop one or two miles beforehand and received the proper acknowledgement.