1937 Dominguez Canyon rail crash

On April 26, 1937, the D&RGW train number 319 had left Delta at 7:25pm heading Northwest to Grand Junction, Colorado. About 35 minutes later, when it was about 17.1 miles from Delta and traveling along the tracks next to the Gunnison River, it crashed into Wells Gulch near Dominguez Canyon. The train had attempted to cross over the gulch without realizing the trestle had burnt out sometime earlier that same day. Due to the time of the accident, at 8pm, the engineer had no indication whatsoever of the condition and didn't even have time to apply the brakes. The train, which consisted of the coal-powered steam engine #777, plus a combination mail and baggage car, an additional baggage car, one coach and one Pullman sleeping car, was traveling at about 25-30 mph and was derailed as it crossed over the south end of Wells Gulch at bridge 389.60. The trestle supporting the tracks had been destroyed by fire sometime in the previous twelve hours. The last train to cross over the same spot, had been the same train and crew at about 7:40am the morning of the crash.

The investigation that followed the crash was unable to determine the cause of the fire, but two possible theories were mentioned, but no facts to support either were presented, so the crash was ruled an accident.

The fireman, Fred S. Perkins, who had worked for the D&RGW since 1898, was killed instantly. The engineer, Charles D. Freeman, who had worked for the D&RGW since 1903, suffered extensive burns from the escaping steam, and died the following day at St. Mary's Hospital, in Grand Junction.

The locomotive pulling the train, T-29 class 4-6-0 Ten-wheeler #777 (built by Brooks Locomotive Works in 1908) was later scrapped in October 1938.

The immediate cause of the accident was the burned out trestle that left the rails unsupported as they crossed over Wells Gulch, near Domniguez Canyon.

No known recommendations were made.