Moline MI Memorial

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PatAzo
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Moline MI Memorial

Unread post by PatAzo »

There is a small stone column memorial in Moline MI. Does anyone know the history?

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SD80MAC
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Re: Moline MI Memorial

Unread post by SD80MAC »

I'm guessing they are residents of Moline who worked for the RR. Here's a shot I did with it a couple of years ago.

ImageIn Memoriam by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr
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kenN
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Re: Moline MI Memorial

Unread post by kenN »

I'm not certain just when the monument was erected, but it commemorates the lives of men who lost their lives along the line (PC/PRR nee GR&I, now GRE), not necessarily those who actually lived in Moline. There are two men on the memorial who died in 1972, so one of them must have been the fellow that died helping to clean up a derailment that occurred just south of Moline in the early hours of Saturday, Dec 30, 1972. In that wreck, about seven loaded GM auto-parts box cars on the nightly southbound train piled up just north of the 12th St crossing, a dirt road 1/2 mile south of town. Two big hooks were brought to the scene: 150-ton PC #50104 from the south (Kalamazoo? Perhaps someone on this board knows where it was based) and C&O's big 250-ton wrecker DK-8 from Grand Rapids. A car apparently derailed just after passing through town and scored the ties until it encountered a driveway crossing (at my great-grandfather's farm, incidentally), and piled up there.
By that afternoon (Sat), both hooks were busy clearing the right-of-way. Picture #1 shows DK-8 returning to the scene after towing the first derailed car back to the Moline siding, By Sunday afternoon, Dec 31, the track was repaired enough for DK-8 to move to the south end to lift and pull an SP box back to the rails. Apparently the bigger wrecker was needed for the task of moving that fully-loaded car. Picture #3 shows the scene of the fatality just after it occurred later that afternoon. When the PC hook lifted the green PC boxcar, the unfortunate fellow was under the car when something slipped, and he was crushed. All work halted at that point at least for several hours, and perhaps overnight, which suddenly became a rather grim New Year's Eve. KJN
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nursesis2003
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Re: Moline MI Memorial

Unread post by nursesis2003 »

I am the grand daughter of walter foreman and appreciate the pictures and background as I havent found any history in searching. Where is this monument exactly as my grandma and father are deceased so I havent found the location to go visit it!

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~Z~
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Re: Moline MI Memorial

Unread post by ~Z~ »

Located in this small park in Moline MI, shown on this map: https://goo.gl/maps/RkrYCqRJSLqsfHmM8
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nursesis2003
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Re: Moline MI Memorial

Unread post by nursesis2003 »

Thank you so so much, this will be wonderful to see in person as I never had the chance to meet my grandpa!

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Doktor No
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Re: Moline MI Memorial

Unread post by Doktor No »

Other then the two men worked for the MC/LS&MS and NYC...and this was a PRR line. They would have been retired for some time at the time of death. Granted that this was PC at that time....the one would have been 65 at the time of the wreck...in 1972. Now Mr. Foreman on the other hand...could very well have been.
PC was putting them on the ground on the GR&I back then in most every berg down the line.
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