Died of Injuries Sustained in Runaway Train Accident - Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Margaret H. Shaeffer was an 88 year old resident of Oakland, who was a passenger on the Nevada County Narrow Gauge enroute to visit her family in Downieville. Before the train reached the Nevada City station, where her grandchildren were awaiting her arrival, it was cut near the crest of the Town Talk ridge for switching of prior cars. The freight cars and passenger coach remained on the main line tracks and at some point the brakes apparently failed whereupon the train started it's unexpected trip backwards down the grade to the rear of Olympia Park, sped past the C. C. Mitchell ranch, rounded the turn adjoining the Banner road before piling up at the high built-up crossing on the Town Talk road.

Miners from the nearby Idaho-Maryland Mine were first on the scene and assisted in removing Mrs. Shaeffer from the wreckage. She was in an unconscious condition and was taken to the Jones Memorial Hospital where she later expired.

There was at the time of the run-away, only one other passenger aboard the train, Melvin Auld of San Francisco, who was enroute to the Bloomfield camp of the Civilian Conservation Corps, of which he was a member. Auld came out of the accident virtually unscathed.

The box cars which were said to be comparatively new, contained a shipment of dynamite, which had been securely packed and braced therein back at the Colfax depot, and had thus failed to dislodge a half-inch in the collision. Due attention was given this safety measure in the following quoted sentence, "The expert packing and handling of the powder apparently averted a catastophe of unknown proportions."*


*Quote source: The Morning Union Wed. July 12, 1933 pg 1