The Wreck of the Old 97

by Larry G. Aaron

With Fast Mail train No. 97 an hour behind schedule, locomotive engineer Steve Broady, according to legend, swore to "put her in Spencer on time" or "put her in Hell." Through eyewitness reports and court testimonies, historian Larry Aaron expertly pieces together the events of September 27, 1903, at Danville, Virginia, when the Old 97 plummeted off a forty-five-foot trestle into the ravine below. With more twists and turns than the railroad tracks on which the Old 97 ran, this book chronicles the story of one of the most famous train wrecks in American history, as well as the controversy surrounding "The Wreck of the Old 97," that most famous ballad, which secured the Old 97 a place within the annals of American folklore.

Genres: History, Railway History, Nonfiction

163 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2010

Reviews

[MKF]

This would have been a good read if it wasn't so slow. I found it hard to get into and kept putting it down. The author did a lot of research including interviews but his writing style was dull.

[Shelley Alongi]

Hi, I’m familiar with the song so I knew the basic story. Filling in the details was a glimpse back in time I suppose. Every time I think about this and I read about a description of one of the male cars I think of the male car that we saw at the Wichita Falls railroad museum several years ago. I have pictures of me in the mail car. I have all kinds of pictures of me and I’ll kinds of places there, including a locomotive, but it wasn’t moving or we weren’t running a train. It was just sitting there. Anyway, interesting read for a rail fan. I have developed an interest in trains Starting about 10 years ago and occasionally I pick some thing up to increase my knowledge. I can’t help but wonder what the engineer is thinking as he came up on that curve because if he knew it was going on he certainly knew what was in store. We don’t know if anyone else knew that was in the train anyway. I think about how huge those machines are and I think you know the sound of that entire train careening over the side of the Trussell must’ve just been absolutely Psyche destroying. I bet you they didn’t forget that for a long long time.

[Matt]

I found it a well-researched, quick read.

[Raymond W. Carr]

Old 97

Very good railroad documentary. Not a classic of literature, but quite riveting. Great effort was expenses to tell the story accurately.

[William Guerrant]

Excellent. Carefully researched and very well written. A page turner.

[Patrick]

It’s a slow start but it’s very well researched. A book that finally figures out the truths and myths.

[Hannah]

Actual rating: 3.8

[James Piss]

He should've kept track a time. now he crashed his train and will never make it to the theater before the last shwoing of Falluhah 3: The Ringed City.

[Mae Clair]

I’d been looking high and low for a book on the wreck of the Old 97, when I found this account by Larry G. Aaron. Admittedly, I am new to the subject so I don’t have much to compare it to, but I was enthralled by the information presented from beginning to end. The author did a great job of relaying the tale in an interesting manner, and sharing the background on those involved.

A good look at a historical event that reads easily and smoothly while putting the reader into that infamous day on September 27, 1903. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Old 97. I couldn't put it down!

[a.]

the old 97 is probably one of the most famous train crashes due to a seminal country song written about it; it was a mail train that derailed near danville, virginia, resulting in 11 deaths.

this was a terrible history book, i’m sorry to say. although the research is exhaustive (including a lot of new interviews of the family members and descendants of those involved), the writing is just… dull, and the author gets obsessed with lists and details in a way that made getting through it a slog.