Tales from the Rails

1940 Cartersville, Georgia, Collision: ‘I Never Saw a Crowd of People so Shaken’

The dangers of railroading were apparent on July 20, 1940, when two trains collided near Cartersville, Georgia.

Todd DeFeo's avatar
Todd DeFeo
Dec 03, 2024
∙ Paid

Based on my remarks to the Bartow History Center on Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Despite numerous safety upgrades throughout history, railroading has always been a dangerous profession, and it still is today. That was quite apparent on July 20, 1940, when a northbound Louisville & Nashville freight train collided with a switch engine near Cartersville, Georgia.

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