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Show Safety Lessons: The 1938 Burgon’s Crossing School Bus and Train Accident By ERIC G. SWEDIN O n December 1, 1938, a Thursday, early in the morning, Denver and Rio Grande Western No. 31 left Helper, located in central Utah, pulling twelve loaded freight cars, thirty-eight empty cars, and a caboose. The second-class freight train, named the Flying Ute, was running late, but that was not unusual; it lost even more time as it made its way north, running four hours and nineteen minutes late when it passed Provo. A light snow was falling in the cold morning. Just northwest of Riverton, in the southern part of the Salt Lake Valley at approximately 3rd West and 102nd South, a country road approached the railroad track, but turned to run parallel to the railroad track for 2,600 feet, almost a half a mile, before turning at a right angle to cross the tracks at Burgon’s Crossing. As the train came to the road, the fireman on the engine saw that a school bus was on the parallel section of the road, some distance ahead of the train. The crew had seen school buses on this road before. Visibility was reported to be up to a half mile and the open country contained Photo of the crash site that no obstructions; the head brakeman later appeared in the December 2, testified that he could see the end of his train 1938, issue of the Salt Lake Tribune. at all times from his position in the engine. Eric Swedin is Associate Professor of History at Weber State University. 159 |
