Great Train Wreck of 1856

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Great Train Wreck of 1856" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Great Train Wreck of 1856
An 1856 artistic illustration of the Great Train Wreck
Details
Date	July 17, 1856; 168 years ago (1856-07-17) 6:18 a.m.
Location	Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°07′43.66″N 75°12′10.56″W / 40.1287944°N 75.2029333°W / 40.1287944; -75.2029333
Country	United States
Operator	North Pennsylvania Railroad
Incident type	Head-on collision
Cause	Human error
Statistics
Trains	2: "Shakamaxon" and "Aramingo"
Passengers	"Shakamaxon": 1,100-1,500; "Aramingo": 20
Deaths	Approx 60
Injured	Over 100

The Great Train Wreck of 1856 occurred in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, between Camp Hill station (known as Sandy Run, Camp Hill, Sellwick and finally Fellwick station before being closed in 1996) and Fort Washington station, on July 17, 1856. Two trains, traveling on the same track in converging directions, collided, killing between 59 and 67, and injuring over 100. The incident was referred to as The Camp Hill Disaster in Montgomery County, and The Picnic Train Tragedy in Philadelphia. It was the deadliest railroad catastrophe in the world up to that time and became one of the signature events of its era.