xxxxx A derailment occurred on the line of the Yosemite Valley Railroad Company at a point between the stations of Northfork and Bagby on the night of June 25, 1914, at a point 63 feet west of engineer's station 2847 on a 10 degree curve at a point where the track is on a rock fill, with a steep rocky bluff on the north side of the track and the Merced River at the foot of the fill on the south side of the track.

xxxxx Train No. 3, scheduled to leave El Portal at 8.00 p.m., left on the date of the accident a few minutes later than the schedule and was delayed at a point 7.2 miles east of El Portal at a station called Southfork for a meet. The train then proceeded, and at the time of the accident was running about 18 miles per hour, and consisted of an engine, a combination baggage and smoking car, a straight day coach, and two standard Pullmans. The engine was not working steam at the time of the accident, but was drifting around curves, the engineer having just released his air after having made a slight application for reduction of speed around a reverse curve just previous to the point of accident.

xxxxx As the train entered the 10 degree curve at the point of accident, the lead truck of the engine took the curve without trouble, but the drivers on the left side of the engine were derailed, followed by all wheels of the engine tank, the complete derailment and overturning of the combination smoker and baggage car, and the straight day coach, and derailment of the front truck of the first standard Pullman, the rear trucks of the first Pullman remaining on the rail and all the trucks of the rear Pullman.

xxxxx The engine ran about 7 1/2 rail lengths (each being 33 feet) before being brought to a stop, and at the time the engine was stopped, the drivers on the right-hand side of the engine were both on the rail, both drivers on the left-hand side were off the rail, which had turned over about on an angle of 30 degrees, leaving the flange of the driver resting on the base of the rail. The two cars which left the track went down an embankment at least 70 feet in height, consisting entirely of shale rock which was evidently wasted over this embankment at the time of construction of the line.

xxxxx Careful investigation of this accident is convincing that the primary cause is the condition of the pine ties with which a very considerable portion of the track is laid. These pine ties have been in the track since the time of construction, at least seven years, and have deteriorated considerably in a manner that is not in evidence from casual surface inspection. In other words the ties have decayed on the under side, thereby weakening the life and the strength of the tie to hold the spikes. This line is laid with 70-pound rail, 33-foot lengths; the regular 6-inch by 8-inch by 8-foot sawn pine tie has been used with a three-hole tie plate under each rail. Standard practice has been followed on curves of double- spiking the tie plate on the outside of rail and single-spiking on the inside of rail. On tangents, standard practice has been followed of one spike on each side of the rail through each tie plate. At the point of the accident the track is on a rock fill, the ballast consisting of reasonably large pieces of shale rock which have been filled in between the ties, thus giving the track, when once properly surfaced, and exceptionally firm foundation, and one that would hold the line and surface of the track and require little or no maintenance to keep same in proper condition. It would appear that this fact has been one of the reasons why the has not been disturbed and any of the ties in the particular curve in which the accident happened, been removed, either for the purpose of renewal or inspection, and it would appear that the accident was the result of the drivers on the left side of the engine hitting the curve, and the rail giving way, or tipping over a sufficient distance to permit the left drivers dropping off ball of rail onto the base. This derailed the engine tank and the engine tank in turn derailed the two coaches, which started toward the outside of the curve and down the bank, resulting in the death of one passenger and one employee, and injuries to twenty passengers and one employee.

xxxxx In view of the condition of the pine ties observed on the line of this railroad, not only at curves, but also, on tangents (where in a close inspection covering some 2 1/2 miles, spikes were observed on tangents projecting up at least 2 to 2 1/4 inches from the tie), it is recommended that the Commission immediately instruct the management of the Yosemite Valley Railroad to immediately proceed toward the renewal of ties on all curves between the stations of Merced Falls and El Portal, and to follow up the renewal of ties on curves with a renewal of such ties as may be in unserviceable condition on their tangents, and it is recommended that until such work is performed, that the management of the Yosemite Valley Railroad Company be required to reduce the speed of all trains, both freight and passenger, on their 10 degree curves and greater to a speed that shall not exceed twelve miles per hour, either east or west bound; this, however, not to effect any lesser minimum speed that may now be in operation by special rules in time card. In view of the existing conditions the hazard and liability of a repetition of this accident and possibly with more fatal results, leads to the recommendation as above outlined.

xxxxx It is understood that a representative of the engineering department looked over the ground with special reference to the condition of ties and has filed his report with the Commission. As a matter of fact, the condition of the pine ties in the roadbed, as evidenced by such as have been removed from the track, clearly indicates that they are unsafe for use in a road having considerable curvature (some as high as 18 degrees), heavy fills, sloping toward a rapidly moving mountain stream, and the recommendation contained above is made that there may be no further hazard or liability of injury to the traveling public pending the correction of existing conditions on the line of the Yosemite Valley Railroad, as it is certainly not safe to operate this line with the pine ties in their present condition which is one quarter to one half their original condition when new.

xxxxx That conditions as above noted are apparent, the attached letter, signed by twenty passengers who were on a train derailed on the Yosemite Valley Railway the day previous, is self-evident.

xxxxx The management of the Yosemite Valley Railroad Company requesting that further specific data should be given them as to the ties which should be removed, a more detailed inspection of the condition of the track and roadbed of the Yosemite Valley Railroad Company was conducted by a representative of the engineering department, who outlined a program for the renewal of ties and also for the widening of a number of embankments where proper support was not in evidence under the ends of the ties. The renewal of ties in accordance with the schedule, and the work of widening of embankments is now in progress, in accordance with the Commission's recommendations and order.