| Louisville & Nashville fireman Leo Wheeler was on the ground inspecting freshly-repainted E7A units 780 and 759 while Train 6, the northbound HUMMING BIRD, made its station stop at Pascagoula, Mississippi. Notice that the 780 has not yet gotten the red L&N emblem on its nose. Two weeks hence these engines would be involved in a collision with Freight Train 76 at the south end of Claiborne Siding. This was in Mississippi near the Louisiana state line. At 6:20 p.m. on 15 November 1963 these E-units were on No. 37, the southbound CRESCENT, and had slowed to 15 mph to meet No. 76 when they struck it as it pulled into the siding. The collision damaged or destroyed the 51st through 59th cars in No. 76's train. The E-units fared well, with only $6,000 damage to the 780 and $3,600 to the 759. No. 37’s engineer said he didn’t have enough air to stop his train. |