SH Archive 1906 Earthquake: Train Derailed by a Quake

[KD Archive]

Some of us have seen this photograph before. The train ended up on its side due to the famous 1906 earthquake. The one that destroyed SF.

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The 1907 account reads:

• At Point Reyes Station at the head of Tomales Bay the 5:15 train for San Francisco was just ready. ​
• The conductor had just swung himself on when the train gave a great lurch to the east, followed by another to the west, which threw the whole train on its side. ​
• The astonished conductor dropped off as it went over, and at the sight of the falling chimneys and breaking windows of the station, he understood that it was the Temblor. ​
• The fireman turned to jump from the engine to the west when the return shock came. ​
• He then leaped to the east and borrowing a Kodak he took a picture of the train here presented. ​

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KD: What do you think? Could an earthquake do this?

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[Timeshifter]

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Username: Timeshifter
Date: 2020-02-22 08:50:38
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Good question.

I would say, if this was caused by an earthquake, I would expect to see some buckling, damage to the tracks and ground around them, however, the tracks, at least form this angle, seem perfect. No apparent damage to the buildings behind. I would expect much more obvious damage from an earthquake powerful enough to knock over that engine! Also, it is laid perfectly on its side. Surely if it was moving when this happened, the carriages would be more bent and broken? This appears like it simply toppled over .

Brightening up the carriage, no dame apparent. Interesting sky again though.

 

[KD Archive]

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Username: KorbenDallas
Date: 2020-02-22 08:54:51
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Based on that 1907 account it appears it was stationary and ready to go.

I would think those houses in the background, as well as the railroad itself, would have sustained some damage though.

 

[Archive]

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Username: jd755
Date: 2020-02-22 10:05:51
Reaction Score: 1

Perhaps the questions should be
What else but an earthquake did this?
What could push a train over like this?
What could lay the thing down all in one go?
Is there evidence of photo manipulation?
It has the feel of a staged photograph for me purely from the body language on display from the man and the girl who seem ingonruous to the scene added in for 'realism' purposes.
Are we looking at an exaggerated postcard or April Fools card or something similar?

 

[Timeshifter]

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Username: Timeshifter
Date: 2020-02-22 10:08:23
Reaction Score: 1

Perhaps the questions should be
What else but an earthquake did this?
What could push a train over like this?
What could lay the thing down all in one go?
Is there evidence of photo manipulation?
It has the feel of a staged photograph for me purely from the body language on display from the man and the girl who seem ingonruous to the scene added in for 'realism' purposes.
Are we looking at an exaggerated postcard or April Fools card or something similar?

All of those JD.

I did wonder what the little girl could be looking at... and I did also think, how tall are they in comparison to the train?

 

[Archive]

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Username: jd755
Date: 2020-02-22 10:17:03
Reaction Score: 1

All of those JD.

I did wonder what the little girl could be looking at... and I did also think, how tall are they in comparison to the train?

I wonder what the railway gauge was for that line in 1907?
That would give us a measure we could use to figure things out as to the wheels of the train would correspond to the width of the gauge which should reveal the liklihood of those people actually being in or out of scale relative to the rest of the scene.
I get the feeling though we are possibly looking at a model train layout as the base image.