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 IC 382 in the yard ofWater Valley, Mississippi, rebuilt after its crash inVaughan, Mississippi, 1900 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Illinois Central No. 382, also known as "Ole' 382" or "The Cannonball", was a 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" bought new from theRogers Locomotive Works inPaterson, New Jersey for theIllinois Central Railroad.[1] Constructed in 1898, the locomotive was used for fastpassenger service betweenChicago,Illinois andNew Orleans,Louisiana.[1] On the night of April 30, 1900, engineerCasey Jones and firemanSimeon "Sim" Webb were traveling with the engine fromMemphis, Tennessee toCanton, Mississippi.[1][2] The traincollided into the rear of a freight train stuck on the mainline, killing Jones, and injuries dozens more inVaughan, Mississippi, the last station before Canton.[2] After the accident, the locomotive was rebuilt inWater Valley, Mississippi, and returned to service.[1][2] The locomotive was believed to becursed after Jones' death as it would suffer three more accidents in its career before being retired in July 1935, and scrapped.
Today, a stand in for No. 382, formerClinchfield Railroad No. 99, is now on display at the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum, inJackson, Tennessee, painted up asIllinois Central No. 382.[1]
No. 382 was bought new from theRogers Locomotive Works ofPatterson, New Jersey.[3] The new 300 series of4-6-0 locomotives were designed forfast passenger service on theIllinois Central betweenChicago,Illinois, andNew Orleans,Louisiana.[3]
There are many accounts of Casey Jones' final journey that led up to his accident in Vaughan, Mississippi. But the agreed upon set of facts state that Jones had taken up a double shift to clear up a sick engineer named Sam Tate on April 29.[4][5] Jones and his fireman, Simeon Webb, had already traveled fromCanton, Mississippi northbound toMemphis, Tennessee for their shift, taking the "New Orleans Special" with a sister locomotive of No. 382, No. 384.[3][5] When Tate called in sick, Jones and Webb agreed to take Tate's "New Orleans Special" from Memphis, Tennessee to Canton, Mississippi.[3] When they departed with their southbound "New Orleans Special"passenger train, it was an hour and a half behind schedule, with No. 382 being the engine hauling the five car train since its departure in Chicago.[3] At 12:30 AM on the night of April 30, the train left Memphis and started their near non-stop journey to Canton, with the only stop being inGoodman, Mississippi to let another train pass.[3]
As Jones drove No. 382 down towardCanton, the station and sidings inVaughan, Mississippi were filled with three trains all at the same time. The crucial train was a doubleheader going southbound, as its train was too long for the siding. As the "New Orleans Special" rounded anS-Curve,fireman Simeon Webb spotted thedoubleheader stuck on the tracks.[3] After yelling at Jones about the train, he applied the emergency brakes and threw No. 382 into reverse at the same time. Jones told Webb to jump out, and so Webb did, getting knockedunconscious as he hit the ground. Jones' train crashed at 3:52 AM and smashed through acaboose, two separateboxcars, one full ofhay and the other forcorn, and halfway through a flatcar oflumber.[3] Jones was the onlyfatality from that accident.[3]
After the Vaughan Wreck, No. 382 was moved toWater Valley, Mississippi for repairs, returning to service that summer. However, the engine had a string of other accidents throughout the rest of her career, totaling six deaths, including Casey Jones.
In 1903, criminals sabotaged the tracks and caused 382 to flip on its side. Engineer Harry A. Norton lost both of his legs and receivedthird degree burns. His fireman, however, died in that accident three days later, after being scalded to death.[3]
In 1905, the engine ran over a set of points, derailed, and flipped down an embankment in the Memphis South Yards in Tennessee. Norton was the driver for No. 382 that day as well, but he survived that accident as well.[3]
The locomotive was renumbered 212 in July 1900, then 2012 in July/August 1907, then 5012 in 1922.[6]
On January 22, 1912, No. 2012crashed into the rear of a passenger train inKinmundy, Illinois, resulting in four deaths, including the former president of the Illinois Central. This also ended up being the engine's deadliest accident.[3]
In July 1935, No. 2012 was removed from service and scrapped.[3]
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Carolina, Clinchfield, & Ohio Railroad, or Clinchfield for short, No. 99 is a 4-6-0 built by theBaldwin Locomotive Works in 1905 asSouth & Western Railway Company No. 1. In 1908, the South & Western became the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railway.[3] In 1924, the road was incorporated with the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio of South Carolina and the Clinchfield & Northern Railway of Kentucky into the new Clinchfield Railroad, and the engine was renumbered to No. 99. In 1953, No. 99 was sold to theBlack Mountain Railway inBurnsville, North Carolina, where it was renumbered to No. 3. The company was bought by theYancey Railroad in 1955.[4][3]
The following year, the engine was retired on the Yancey Railroad in 1956 and was sold to the City ofJackson, Tennessee. They purchased No. 99 for the purpose of putting it on display on a new museum dedicated to Casey Jones' life near his and Jeanie Brady's home. The engine was cosmetically restored as Illinois Central No. 382 and was put on display at the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum, later opening that same year.[4][3]
In 1980, the Casey Jones Village was established, and Jones' home and No. 382 were moved to the new plaza, with the museum reopening a year later in 1981.[4]
No. 99, repainted as IC No. 382, is now on static display at the Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum in Jackson, Tennessee.[4]
No. 382 has been featured and mentioned in several songs in addition with Casey Jones.No. 382 even served as the basis for the mock up locomotives, No. 29 & Constitution in the 2013 live action Disney filmThe Lone Ranger.
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