Bryn Athyn
Train Wreck
Bryn Athyn, Pa.
 Dec. 5, 1921

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At 8am on a Monday morning in December 1921, there was a horrible, head-on train crash one mile north of Bryn Athyn, Pa. It was a fiery crash that resulted in the death of 27 people and injuries to 70 more.

It is also known as the Woodmont train wreck because it happened closest to the now-defunct Woodmont station.

It is impossible to tell the story quickly, yet fully. It is very involved and confusing. There were three trains, ignored orders, and possible broken signals contributing to this accident.

This is just a quick overview of the story. If you would like to learn more of the details, please visit the links at the bottom of the page.

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Crossing the Pennypack Creek
In 1921, the rail line from Phila. to Newtown was a double-track line only as far as the Fox Chase Station at the northern limits of Philadelphia. From there to Newtown (a distance of 11 miles), it was a single-track line. The Phila. and Reading Railway did not feel there was enough ridership to Newtown to warrant running a second track.

This meant trains passing each other had to use sidings, which were located at some of the stations. One train would arrive at the station and pull onto the siding to allow the oncoming train to pass, then proceed on its way.

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It was early that Monday morning. There was six inches of snow on the ground that had fallen the day before. Everyone was starting on their way to work for the day.

The northbound train (#151) from Philadelphia to Newtown was on time as it pulled into the Huntington Valley station at Welsh Rd., west of Huntingdon Pike. The southbound passenger and milk train (#154) from Newtown was usually waiting at the station, but for some reason, this morning it wasn't there.

The normal routine for the northbound train was to pass the southbound milk train at the Huntingdon Valley station, then proceed through to the Southampton station where it would pass another Phila. bound train, which would be waiting on a siding there. On the way, it would pass by three stations - Bryn Athyn, Paper Mills and Woodmont.

But this morning the milk train was not waiting. And this started a chain of events which resulted in the collision.

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At the time, communications systems were primitive compared to those of the present day. Some of the stations were manned and some were not. Only the manned stations were connected by telegraph, and none of the trains themselves had the ability to communicate.

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The Huntingdon Valley station had no stationmaster, so no news could be heard of why the expected milk train was not waiting. After an appropriate amount of time, the Newtown train proceeded slowly to the next station, Bryn Athyn.

Bryn Athyn Station
Now a Post Office
When it arrived, the engineer found the milk train waiting there. The engineer of the Newtown train was told to pull onto the siding because the other train was too long to fit on it. This would allow the late-running milk train to pass by. Since this was a change from the normal routine, the engineer asked to have it in writing.

Since things were already out of the norm, it was decided to allow the second Phila-bound express train (#156) now waiting at the Southampton station to proceed. It would then pass the northbound train while it was still on the siding at Bryn Athyn. This was also out of the ordinary, as the northbound train usually had the right-of-way over both the others.

The Bryn Athyn stationmaster handed a telegraphed order to the conductor of the Newtown train, who read it and passed it on to the engineer. The order stated to hold the train on the siding until the train from Southampton passed.

The stationmaster then allowed the waiting southbound milk train to pass and proceed towards Phila. As he watched it leave, he went into the station to telegraph the Southampton station to allow the other southbound train to proceed. Then he came back outside to talk to the engineer of the northbound train. Awaiting him was a sight he knew spelled disaster - the northbound train was gone.

He instantly realized that both trains were now on the same track, heading toward each other, each thinking they were alone. Knowing that a collision was inevitable, he ran into the station and called for help.

* * *

The engineer of the southbound express was expecting a clear track through to Bryn Athyn where he would pass the northbound train. It was going about 25-30 mph as it passed the Woodmont Station. The engineer of the northbound train thought he had the right-of-way through to Southampton where he would pass the southbound train. He was doing 30-35 mph as he passed the Paper Mill Station. Neither of these stations was manned, so there was nobody to warn either train of the impending doom.

Between these two stations, there was a "cut" in a hillside through which the single track lay. The sides of the cut were as high as 30 feet. To make matters worse, the line followed alongside the meandering Pennypack Creek and the cut was at a curve in the track.

It was at this cut that the two trains met. Because of the hillside of the cut and the curve, neither engineer saw the other train until they hit, head-on, at a total of 60 mph.

The crash could be heard for miles. The cut in the hillside left nowhere for the engines to go but straight up. The force was so great that both engines stood up on end, then fell back, together, onto the first car of the northbound train.

A few of the cars were wooden with gas heaters. Add the spilled, hot coals from the steam engines, and the ensuing fire was horrendous. And again, because of the crash being in the cut, there was nowhere for the passengers to escape.

Twenty-seven people died in the crash. Some were killed instantly when the engines fell back onto the first car; some died from being trapped in the burning cars.

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Shortly after this collision, the construction of wooden passenger cars was banned, as was the use of gas fixtures.

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December 1921

One of the Locomotives Remains of a Passenger Car

Position of the Engines Burned-Out Hulks of Two Cars

Looking Into the Cut Wreckage of Passenger Car on Left

A Locomotive

March 2003

Heading South into the Cut I'm standing in "Death Gulch"

Closeup of "the Gulch"

Map Showing the Stations and Location of the Collision

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Links to More Information

Train Order Accidents - Dr. James Calvert
- Bryn Athyn (Woodmont) wreck

Dept. of Trans - Rail Accident Investigations
Be sure to click on -
   1. "I.C.C. Historical Railroad Investigation Reports (1911-1994)"
   2. "1921"
   3. "Philadelphia and Reading Railway" (NEXT to last one in the list)

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Created - Fri, Feb 28, 2003
Revised - Fri, July 21, 2006
crc1123@voicenet.com