Railroad accidents · Chatsworth
The Blue Comet washout near Chatsworth (1939)
Documented history · Sources compared
A violent rainstorm washed away the track beneath the Blue Comet on August 19, 1939; the official inquiry found 38 people injured.
Clear signals over failing ground
The train’s crew had been warned at Winslow Junction to watch for storm-washed sand at crossings. Approaching Chatsworth, torrential rain reduced visibility to a few feet. The engineer slowed below the normal 70-mile-per-hour limit, while trackside and cab signals still indicated a clear route.
At about 4:37 p.m., the train encountered a washout near milepost 86. All five cars derailed. The engine and tender separated from them and continued about 3,300 feet; damage sustained during the derailment disabled the tender’s brakes. The Interstate Commerce Commission counted 32 passengers and six railway workers injured.
What the inquiry settled
The ICC’s October 20 report attributed the accident to unusually heavy rainfall washing out the track. Witnesses described a storm unlike any they had encountered there. The report distinguishes the initial washout from later flood damage to a bridge and lake dam—events that should not be collapsed into one cause. ICC report, pp. 3–13.
Later historical reporting says a dining-car cook died from his injuries. A 2011 interview with witness Charles Brower also recalls exaggerated first rumors of mass deaths and a rapid return to service. The ICC’s injury tally and a reported later death describe different stages of the story. Brower’s recollection and newspaper retrospective.
Sources and research limits
The primary source is ICC Investigation No. 2376. The later-death account requires a hospital or death record for its exact date. The wreck did not immediately end the Blue Comet service.