Wiggins Colorado Head On Collision 0355 04/13/1984 in Tales of the Jointed Track
- March 3, 2016, 11:31 p.m.
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- Public
this has been in “draft” since 11/22/2014. I misplaced some of the old news paper clippings. I have tried to make them readable, so if you can magnify em you can get most of the story. It was something that did not need to happen. I also have trying to compose this in the right way, from a third persons point of view, and observation. I did have other information.
I was on call for a run the next morning. The line up that was broadcasted said either a helper or Grain Train around 600 to 830 am. The pool was short so I was floating in between making a shove or going to Pueblo on a pool turn. I went to bed about 930 that night, and awoke about 630 am. I was surprised that I was still at home and not called. This was Friday morning April 13,th
I dialed the crew caller and was told your first out, but there was a derailment out east. “Where and what went into the ditch?” “I am not allowed to give out that information”. I thought to myself, BS, its bigger that what is being related. I told them I would stay in touch, and try to get a few errands done. Yes it was, bigger. It also was tragic, because train 100 and train 163 met 150 feet past the west CTC switch at Wiggins, CO.
It hadn’t hit the newspapers or the radio or TV yet. It was going to, but I had another source of access. A radio scanner. I had the BN, UP, ATSF, D&RGW, road channels, the ATSF repeater and PBX out of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs and the BN’s Maraz PBX frequencies. The familiar tone dial and phone number tones were coming in. It was the BN Maraz toning up. The gist of the call was the Division Superintendent calling the McCook Division office and the BN Headquarters at that time in St Paul on a conference call. I basically learned that 163 and 100 got together There were 5 killed on the head end, and 2 injuries one minor one serious. The rear end crews were shaken, but all okay. They estimated the mainline would be out for at least 3 days. As daylight is approaching they will be a better reassessment of damage to track and rolling stock. The number of locomotives destroyed and any property damage not belonging to the BN. Various departments from Wiggins and surrounding communities were aiding in putting out the fire, from diesel fuel and oil.
The question who was it? I know most of the crews on the BN that operate the Denver to Akron, CO or the Denver to Sterling, CO coal pool. Train 163 was a fast RED BALL train out of Denver to Chicago. 100 was the hot intermodal from Chicago to Denver. I found out later. I personally knew most of the head end engine and train crews, except for two people. The head brakeman on 100 and the train dispatcher dead heading back to McCook,NE on 163. He was making familiarization of territory trips.
100’s head end Larry Reed Engineer,Larry Alishio Fireman, J.J. Yoch Head Brakeman. I crew changed with Larry when he was in the coal pool at Denver. I don’t know or can’t remember if he got this turn to Akron, or was off the extra board that protected this part of the railroad. Larry Alishio, I remember him as a brakeman when we crew changed with the Trinidad’s on the C&S at Pueblo. I think Larry took an engineers promotion to the EN-08 roster, after going through the BN’s engineer trainee program. J.J. Yoch I did not know him . They all were killed
Train 163 head end was Dick Sponsel Engineer, Dennis Krugman Fireman, Neal Schitper Head Brakeman, Mark Agee Dispatcher dead heading back to McCook.
Sponsel and Schitper jumped, both survived. It was revealed in the investgation, that Sponsel landed in a ditch and lucky for him because one of the SD-40-2’s rolled over him and the ditch saved his life. Schipter jumped off the firemans side and was able to get away from the impact. Krugman ran out the rear door and was getting off when the crash occurred. He was killed. Agee, was in the second unit and probably didn’t even know what was unfolding till too late. He also was killed.
The rear end crews were John Irons Conductor, Bruce Fierstien Rear Brakeman, Gordon Trost Conductor, J.O Sliger Rear Brakeman. I don’t know what trains they were occupying.
100 ran the red signal at the west end of Wiggins, reason. I think they were asleep, and other factors you can draw your own conclusions. I think the D.O.T. NTSB transcripts are still available. I know for certain they deadheaded to Akron,CO, which is roughly 100 miles. I don’t know if they were given 4 hours off, or stayed on continuous time.
A tragedy that haunted me for months. Although I was Santa Fe, and worked south, it still hit home. Even though I am retired it haunts me from time to time.
Dick Sponsel retired in the late 90’s early 2000’s. I don’t know if he is still alive. I think Neal Schitper is still working and close to retirement, if not retired. He was working as an engineer on the Sterling Coal pool. I am sure going through Wiggins on each trip had to be eerie.
I always made it a point to get my rest, because calls come at all hours of the day or night. You might be safe and make it all night in bed, or the phone rings of a 130 am call. Are you ready ??
Be safe all in everything you do.
Last updated March 04, 2016
MageB ⋅ March 05, 2016
Oh, my, what a frightening mess this was. Thank you so much for sharing the story and articles,.
Bonnit ⋅ March 04, 2019
Hi,
Thank you for writing this post. Mark Agee was my cousin. I was a teenager when he was killed in this crash. It was so tragic that I never really knew what happened because it was so awful that we couldn't talk about. All I knew was that it was a bad crash, and he was burned beyond recognition. Changed the family forever. The backstory about how he came to work for the railroad may be worth a different blog post.
Brakeshoe Bob Bonnit ⋅ March 07, 2019
I thank you for the reply. I am sorry for the loss . I wrote this, from a perspective, and another employee from another railroad. I am a prior right Santa Fe / BNSF retired engineer. At that time the BN brought the coal trains into Denver for movement south. We the Santa Fe, moved them southward to Pueblo, CO and interchanged them back to the BN/C&S or they went eastward on the Santa Fe to La Junta. I did not know Mark Agee as a dispatcher, because he worked the BN trains. The Santa Fe and Rio Grande dispatches us. I knew most of the train and engine crews involved, due to either in the Yard office, or crew changing with them. My God's hand of peace be upon you. Yes a very tragic day ..Be well Be safe
davebonar ⋅ March 21, 2021
Thanks for the article and comments. I worked with Mark Agee as a dispatcher in the McCook office and knew him outside of work as a sailboard enthusiast at Red Willow lake north of McCook and a nice guy but very quiet, thoughtful person who kept to himself. After almost 40 years I still think of how his life was short and a terrible way to leave this world. We had 2 head on collisions while I was a dispatcher at McCook and both were preventable and human error was responsible. Thank God that dispatchers were not part of the responsibility. Most of the people in the office are either gone and all are retired. I mostly enjoyed living in McCook for about 11 years and raised my kids there. Mark was a great guy and had his whole life ahead of him.
Brakeshoe Bob davebonar ⋅ March 23, 2021
I am sorry. I still remember this.. Although I was not BN..I knew most of the BN East and Coal people. I knew the C&S guys as well. I was Santa Fe, but crew changed with all. I still get chills. 40 years ago I was 28. God bless and thanks for reading
Brakeshoe Bob davebonar ⋅ March 23, 2021
I don't know if you went to the NOC. I was there working power , after the merger from 1997 to 2001, when they did the purge I went back to engineer seniority
The Ft Morgan Signalmaintainer ⋅ January 29, 2022
Very happy to see this has not been forgotten. I was the signal maintainer for that territory and I can assure you I never forgot! I was only 25 years old just had gotten married and started a family so I took the Ft Morgan Maintaner job after being on the gang. Just six months later after taking the maintainer job I got a call early on Friday the 13th of April 1984 that there was a possible tank car explosion that took out all commucations and CTC. I jumped up out of bed got into my truck and headed that way. As I drove on the interstate heading west from Ft. Morgan to Wiggins the sky was just starting to get light and I could see billows of black smoke on the western horizon. When I got there, I went to the Main Street crossing which was blocked by rail cars that were on the track. I drove up the ROW or access road towards the west end. There wasn't anyone around just fire and smoke by the west switch of Wiggins. When I saw the wreckage of the locomotives I went numb I knew there had been a collision. The 4068 helper was the only locomotive still running, it was bent/bowed in the middle sitting on the ground upright and just idling. I was just sick to my stomach. I made some calls to my supervisor then I was pulled from service and sent home until the investigation was completed by the NTSB/FRA. Thank goodness the CTC house at West Wiggins, was intact. They were able to fully test the system to verify it was indeed working as intended.
I dont want to go on too long but a couple of suggestions to the story. It was train 163 that was WB freght from Chicago to Denver and train 100 was the EB train who was going to take siding at West Wiggins. The radio system BN used was the MRAS or Mobile Radio Acess System. Or in other words you can call out onto the Ma Bell phone system through the key pad. My older brother was a locomotive engineer out of McCook and we both new and partied with Mark Agee and I was sick when I heard he passed. I didn't know the others but God Bless them and their families.
Brakeshoe Bob The Ft Morgan Signalmaintainer ⋅ April 08, 2022
Long time and a sad time. Thanks for the train symbol clarification. Had an impact on all of us. God Bless be well be safe
HJY ⋅ December 01, 2022
I want to thank you for sharing information about that horrible day. JJ Yoch was my husband’s father, my husband was 2 when this accident happened. I’ve heard muddled stories about what happened, obviously no one likes to talk about it especially Jim’s siblings and my mother in law. His death caused a lot of hurt and chaos, especially when my mother in law filed a lawsuit against the railroad. I believe they counter sued her for the 5 million in damages but it was dismissed, and she eventually dropped her suit. She claims the railroad sent lawyers to her house 3 hours after the accident to offer her money. I’m curious, was it ever verified whether the signals were in fact working? I’ve read differing accounts. Thank you again
Brakeshoe Bob HJY ⋅ December 05, 2022
It was a terrible day. I didn't know Mr Yoch. Mostly because I was a Santa Fe man. I crew changed with the Coal pool BN's. I still shudder when I drive past Wiggins. Not that I do that everyday, but when my wife and I make the visit to Iowa. Thank you for reading, I tried my best on this one. I can never do it justice. Yes there are many unanswered questions.