On July 2, 1978, on the Santa Fe's Second District, Valley Division, (milepost 1184.4, between Gately and Rheem) vandals removed the lock off the east switch at Bethlehem Steel and lined the switch into the siding after train CWWB2 (GP30s 3230 and 3210, with 23 loads and 5 empties, with conductor M.L. Pinion and engineer B.J. Giger) had passed the last westward signal, displaying a clear indication, at mp 1183. This train them entered the siding at 58 mph and collided with 7 empty coal hoppers, jumped the track and struck an embankment, derailing 16 cars and causing a fire on both locomotives. Curiously, the report does not list what happened to the two crewmembers, so I am hopeful that they survived. The only time shown on the accident report is 2:34 am, but it is unclear if that was the time of the accident, or the time the report was compiled.
Two months to the day after this accident, both locomotives were still sitting on flat cars at the Santa Fe's Richmond Yard. This is GP30 3230, and the damage is significant, and irreparable. ATSF 3230, the former ATSF 1230, built by EMD in June 1962, was retired in October 1978, and scrapped.
GP30 3210 (ex-ATSF 1210), on the adjacent flat car, was apparently rebuilt as there are photos of it online as ATSF 2710, its third roadnumber, and apparently retired in October 2008.
(Richmond, California – September 2, 1978).
And many thanks to Joe McMillan for locating the report on this accident. That helped complete the story of this tragedy.
