1885 Train Wreck Albumen Photo PIGGYBACK New York Central Railroad Batavia

  

[1885 New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Train Wreck in Batavia]. Leading Photographer if Batavia, N. Size: 5 15/16 x 7 13/16 inches (photograph); 7 3/4 x 10 inches (mount).

On February 18, 1885, during a blizzard on the New York Central & Hudson River's Canandaigua Branch, nicknamed the "Peanut Line", a relief train pushing a wedge snowplow raced out from Batavia to free a passenger train buried in drifts east of town. However, the plow special did not know the precise location of the stalled consist and struck it head-on, with the plow underriding and hoisting one locomotive atop another in the spectacular "piggyback" wreck seen.

The photograph has some soiling and minor surface wear, however, the mount is fragile with significant edge chipping, tears, wear, soiling, water stain on the back, etc. Slaying the Dragon: Bringing an'Urban Legend' to its Knees by P. Elmwood Cemetery, Batavia, Genesee County, New York.