Wiggins Colorado Head On Collision 0355 04/13/1984 in Tales of the Jointed Track

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