The Old York Road Historical Society (OYRHS) will observe the 102nd anniversary of the Bryn Athyn train wreck—which took place December 5, 1921—on Saturday, December 2 at the Pennypack Trust’s Visitors’ Center.

Brief History

According to The New York Times, the head-on collision along the Newtown railway line resulted in the deaths of 21 people, including the firemen of the two trains. The OYRHS notes that the count was later updated to 26.

At 7:55am, Trains 151 and 156 collided about half a mile from the Bryn Athyn station. The result of the collision spilled hot coals onto the wooden floors of the cars and resulted in a fire. The conductor and engineer on both trains survived the accident; those who served on train No. 151 served time in prison for the accident.

Details for December 2

At 1:30pm, railroad historian Larry Eastwood will give a presentation on the train wreck with a Q&A period to follow. At 2:45pm, attendees will walk to the crash site led by OYRHS President David Rowland.

Pre-registration is required by December 1 through the Pennypack website event page. Society and Trust members are free, all others are $10.

The Pennypack Trust’s Visitors’ Center is located at 2955 Edgehill Road, Huntingdon Valley.

For more on the OYRHS, you can visit their Facebook page and website. For more on the accident, you can watch the video below:

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Photo: OYRHS, Wikipedia