Apache Train Wreck of 2024

On October 25th, 2024, a Pine Island and Bridgewater Railway (PIBR) office-car train plunged off an under-construction bridge on the Bridgewater and Red Mesa Railroad (BIRM) in the village of Apache. The train was not authorized to run on the BIRM at the time.

Incident

A PIBR office-car train (OCS) was in that railroad's Bridgewater Yard, located some one kilometer west of the village of Apache. The train consisted of one EMD GP40-2 and a Comet I passenger cab car. Several top PIBR executives were aboard the train; several demanded that the train run down the BIRM so that the executives could inspect recent construction along the line. The engineer and conductor initially refused to perform this move, as it would not be authorized by BIRM. While it is not clear who forced their hand, they were overruled and allegedly threatened by intoxicated executives with unemployment if they chose not to comply. The exact situation leading up to the wreck is one of the greatest mysteries in New Territories railroading history. The train began rolling out of Bridgewater Yard and soon passed a stop signal at Control Point Reno, entering BIRM trackage without authority to do so.

At the same time, a work gang on the BIRM was preparing to demolish a section of bridge for replacement near Apache. With no trains operating on the BIRM at the time, this was assumed to be safe without trackside warning markers of any kind.

As the BIRM work gang dismantled a section of bridge and let it fall to the ground, the PIBR OCS came into sight, estimated to be traveling at nearly 40 mph. Despite an emergency brake application, the train plummeted into the gap left by bridge demolition at nearly full speed.

An executive on the OCS who was anonymously interviewed by The Ashwood Times after the incident recounted:

"One moment we were cheerfully conversing in the club car, and the next moment, we were all swimming for our lives. The club car filled with water, as we all swam for the doors and windows. Miraculously, we all made it out. Most of us weren't badly hurt, just wet and startled."

Despite the speed of the derailment, the locomotive and cab car landed in water and soft, thick mud, cushioning the impact. Damage to the equipment was thus fairly minimal, and with on-site repair so that it could roll again, it was transferred back to the railroad's Bridgewater shops for full repair. There were varying accounts of the number of persons aboard the train; however, it is known that everyone survived without critical injury.

Investigation

An investigation was internally launched by the PIBR and BIRM, though a report was never publicly released. It is believed that the companies privately settled due to close interpersonal relations between the two companies' leaders, as some amount of blame could be placed on each company. New Territories law enforcement was blocked by armed BIRM security guards from reaching the wreck site, so an external investigation never came to fruition, prompting public outcry. The Ashwood Times led their own investigation, featuring anonymous interviewees; however, lack of public and government interest in the wreck led to a lack of further public notoriety.