Train wreck sunk for over 100 years found! - video

A group of divers exploring the depths of Lake Superior in the Great Lakes Region, USA, found a 106-year-old goods train wreck on 22 July 2016! The search for the missing locomotive and the wagons it pulled involved a combined force of divers from Canada and the USA, which is quite a common occurrence as the Great Lakes Region is a region located on the border of both countries.

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The wreck of the Canadian Pacific Railway Locomotive No. 694 was found at a depth of 60 metres in Lake Superior near Marathon, Ontario, Canada. The train derailed on 20 June 1910 and fell off a cliff, taking with it to the bottom two railway employees – a stoker and a brakeman. The engineer had jumped off moments earlier and died on the spot.

The accident occurred as a result of rockslides on the tracks, which caused it to derail and fall off a cliff. The No. 694 vehicle itself was a relatively new unit, having been in service for only four years. So there was no question of a fault or malfunction in the braking system.

The story telling the whole event reached the ears of Terry Irvin, a long-time diver living in the area, in 2013. Back in 2014, together with a group of colleagues, he decided to find a lost train from the early 20th century. Unfortunately, then the search for the locomotive was unsuccessful (only one of the carriages was found). However, with their experience, the team consisting, apart from Irvin, of Greg Hilliard, Allisha Hilliard, Dave Ferguson and Jeff Shirk supported further daredevils who decided to try their luck in the summer of 2016.

This time using an unmanned vehicle Tom Crossman, Ron Benson, Todd Janquart, Dave Schlenker and Mac Schlenker achieved their goal. Thanks to information from the previous expedition, they found the missing train depot in just one hour of searching. They then explored it and documented the wreck resting among huge boulders at the bottom of Lake Superior.

“When I dive on a wreck, I always think about the story behind it. On this dive, my thoughts ran to the day of the accident and those poor lads who saw the obstacle appearing and, despite using the brake, had no chance. It must have been terrifying… going off the rails, hitting a sheet of icy water and heading for the bottom” – said Terry Irvin

According to Tom Crossman, the ROV operator who helped locate the train, the wreck is one of a kind. There is no record of another vehicle of this type being found in any of the other lakes that make up the Great Lakes complex.

Due to the extensive damage, there will probably be no attempt to extract the locomotive. The initial plan was to lift it, refurbish it and place it in a museum. According to Canadian media reports – searchers will have to limit themselves to excavating the bell and whistle, if they can be found.

Source: news.nationalpost.com