The Great Northern's Bad-Luck Stop: Freight Wreck at Elk
A through eastbound freight slammed into the caboose of a local train at Elk, smashing six cars and tying up traffic for hours—just the latest wreck at a town with a reputation.
A bad freight wreck occurred at Elk on Wednesday afternoon. A through freight from the east crashed into the caboose of the local which was just preparing to leave the Elk yards. Half a dozen freight cars and a caboose were badly smashed and traffic delayed for several hours.
The Hillyard wrecker was called out and all of the work crews from that place that could be spared also assisted in clearing the road.
Number three, west bound, was caught on this side of the wreck and backed to Standpoint where it took the Northern Pacific tracks into Spokane.
Elk is keeping up its reputation as one of the worst towns on the Great Northern for freight wrecks.
“Elk is keeping up its reputation as one of the worst towns on the Great Northern for freight wrecks.”
Freight derailments still make news, but the Great Northern is now part of BNSF and the Hillyard yards are largely redeveloped. Elk's old nickname as a wreck-prone stop shows how railroad infrastructure once defined a town's identity.
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