Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

This grimly terse news item appeared in the “Asheville Citizen-Times,” June 7, 1922:

FORT MADISON, Ia., June 5.--Up and down the old Santa Fe line engine No. 3403 was known as the hoodoo. 

Engineers, old-timers in the service, shuddered whenever it fell to their lot to pilot "ol' hoodoo" over a division. Trainmen, usually carefree and non-superstitious, always were just a bit worried when 3403 was pulling their train. 

"Ol’ hoodoo” was a good engine as engines go. Engineers admitted that even though they didn't care particularly to be assigned to it.

The reason was that No. 3403 had been responsible for one bad wreck and had several close calls with different engineers at the throttle each time. 

Back in November, 1921, No. 3403 crashed into a freight train at the crossover switch near the south approach to the bridge across the Mississippi here. Both the engineer and fireman were killed.

Engineer James Eaton knew the history of No. 3403. He knew its record. But he disregarded it.

Now, he's dead. Died at the throttle when "ol' hoodoo,” pulling "The Scout" flyer ploughed into the California Limited, head-on. 

And right at the spot where the hoodooed engine had crashed into the freight six months ago and killed its engineer--the crossover switch near the Mississippi bridge. "Ol' hoodoo" also claimed the life of Dewey Taylor, fireman. 

Twelve others were injured. 

But "ol' hoodoo" has made its last run, Nothing remains of the engine now but a heap of junk and the memory among Santa Fe engineers that it claimed the lives of two of their brothers.

Always respect the hoodoo.