Eleven people were killed when a Southern Railway train derailed on Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia, on September 27, 1903. The wreck is popularized in the song Wreck of the Old ‘97.
The wreck of Old 97 occurred when the engineer, Joseph A. “Steve” Broadey, at the controls of engine No. 1102, a Baldwin 4-6-0, was operating the train at high speed to stay on schedule and arrive at Spencer on time. The Old 97 had a reputation for always being on time.
Engineer Broadey and two firemen boarded the train at Washington, farther up the line from Spencer. The second fireman was assigned to assist in maintaining the steam pressure at its maximum so the train would not lose too much speed on ascending grades. The train was substantially behind schedule upon leaving Washington and was one hour late upon arriving at Monroe.
At Monroe, Broadey was instructed to get the Fast Mail to Spencer, 166 miles distant, on time. The scheduled running time from Monroe to Spencer was four hours and fifteen minutes, with an average speed of approximately 39 mph.
To make up for the one-hour delay, the train’s average speed would have to be at least 51 mph. Broadey was ordered to maintain speed through Franklin Junction, an intermediate stop normally made during the run.
