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Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster

"On December 29, 1876 during a raging blizzard, the Ashtabula train disaster and bridge collapse was the worst train disaster of the 19th century, claiming the lives of 97 people."

2022-12-20 Documentary 2hr 3m

The Ashtabula train disaster and bridge collapse was the worst train disaster of the 19th century, claiming the lives of 97 people. The engineering and structural failures that caused the collapse of a bridge that stood for over a decade, also took down the most luxurious train of the day, “The Pacific Express #5.” The accident happened in Ashtabula, Ohio on December 29, 1876 during a raging blizzard, sending the luxury train crashing 70-feet into a river gorge and costing the lives of 97 people. The disaster shocked the nation, yet it’s a story that’s been lost in the pages of history. In a strange twist of fate and intrigue, the bridge disaster also became the backdrop to the still unsolved murder of Charles Collins, the railroad’s chief engineer. It also contributed to the eventual suicide of millionaire Amasa Stone, the president of the railroad and the designer and builder of the bridge.

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Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster

Storyline

The Ashtabula train disaster and bridge collapse was the worst train disaster of the 19th century, claiming the lives of 97 people. The engineering and structural failures that caused the collapse of a bridge that stood for over a decade, also took down the most luxurious train of the day, “The Pacific Express #5.” The accident happened in Ashtabula, Ohio on December 29, 1876 during a raging blizzard, sending the luxury train crashing 70-feet into a river gorge and costing the lives of 97 people. The disaster shocked the nation, yet it’s a story that’s been lost in the pages of history. In a strange twist of fate and intrigue, the bridge disaster also became the backdrop to the still unsolved murder of Charles Collins, the railroad’s chief engineer. It also contributed to the eventual suicide of millionaire Amasa Stone, the president of the railroad and the designer and builder of the bridge.

  • Released
    2022-12-20
  • Revenue
    n/a
  • Budget
    n/a
  • Runtime
    2hr 3m
  • Genre
    Documentary, History, Mystery, Drama, Crime
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    English
  • imdb-logo
  • Production
    Beacon Productions, LLC

Crew

Len Brown
Director

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Videos and Photos

Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster

Movie Reviews

Reviews for Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster
reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Russell A.-** 2 nights back I purchased the video on Vimeo. I just had to post how well done the documentary turned out. I’ve followed the... read more

**Russell A.-** 2 nights back I purchased the video on Vimeo. I just had to post how well done the documentary turned out. I’ve followed the information about the tragedy for years. I’ve been to the cemetery, I’ve read everything I could get my hands on, and I’ve seen some pretty weird less than credible and creepy things. This documentary is gold. Years of research. Consideration for the era, the times, a fair look at the players involved, and facts. Very well done. One cannot “enjoy” watching such a tragedy. Perhaps it’s the scratching of an itch to somehow resolve the question of “Why?” To somehow resolve the mistakes of the past. Human greed? Reliance on what one thinks they know about engineering — and money. It always comes back to money. Money, power, and not scraping a failure to save a buck, or rushing something to save face. The tragedy was a “perfect storm” thankfully resulting in at least some positive changes. My kudos and thanks to those who made this documentary happen.

reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Joe F.-** Watched the film with great interest - it was an informative and dramatic presentation. Well Done! Everyone in Ashtabula area ne... read more

**Joe F.-** Watched the film with great interest - it was an informative and dramatic presentation. Well Done! Everyone in Ashtabula area needs to view it. - THANK YOU for all your hard work.

reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Jacki J.-** Watched last night. Excellent production!!... read more

**Jacki J.-** Watched last night. Excellent production!!

reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Kelly A.-** Awesome film...Great job everyone!... read more

**Kelly A.-** Awesome film...Great job everyone!

reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Lynn C.-** We ended up renting on Vimeo and am so glad I did. It was excellent! You did an amazing job with this even though you had many ... read more

**Lynn C.-** We ended up renting on Vimeo and am so glad I did. It was excellent! You did an amazing job with this even though you had many challenges. It was very informative and I learned a lot. I did close my eyes to the burned bodies and the broken leg.

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by none314

**Russell A.-** 2 nights back I purchased the video on Vimeo. I just had to post how well done the documentary turned out. I’ve followed the information about the tragedy for years. I’ve been to the cemetery, I’ve read everything I could g...

reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Russell A.-** 2 nights back I purchased the video on Vimeo. I just had to post how well done the documentary turned out. I’ve followed the information about the tragedy for years. I’ve been to the ...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Joe F.-** Watched the film with great interest - it was an informative and dramatic presentation. Well Done! Everyone in Ashtabula area needs to view it. - THANK YOU for all your hard work....

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Jacki J.-** Watched last night. Excellent production!!...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Kelly A.-** Awesome film...Great job everyone!...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by none314 10

Written by none314 on 2023-02-27

**Lynn C.-** We ended up renting on Vimeo and am so glad I did. It was excellent! You did an amazing job with this even though you had many challenges. It was very informative and I learned a lot. I d...

read more