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Meldrim trestle disaster

1959 disasters in the United States1959 in Georgia (U.S. state)Accidents and incidents involving Seaboard Air Line RailroadBridge disasters caused by construction errorBridge disasters in the United States
Construction accidents in the United StatesDerailments in the United StatesEffingham County, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state) transportation stubsJune 1959 events in the United StatesRail accident stubsRailway accidents and incidents in Georgia (U.S. state)Railway accidents in 1959United States railway bridge stubs

The Meldrim trestle disaster occurred at Meldrim, Georgia, on June 28, 1959. Involved was a Seaboard Air Line mixed freight train that derailed over the Ogeechee River. Loaded LPG tank cars from the train plunged into the river below and ruptured. The resulting explosion and fire killed 23 people--including entire families and a woman who was eight months pregnant--who were at the river that day as it was a popular area to swim and picnic at.The derailment was caused by the movement of rails on the trestle due to heat-related expansion, resulting in wheels of one car dropping between the rails.An ICC investigation faulted the railroad for not installing guard rails along the trestle, which might have helped to keep the derailed equipment on the trestle deck, minimizing the risk of a hazardous materials release.Killed were the following: Jimmy Anderson Elizabeth Dixon Barnes Ted Barnes Julian Beasley Linda Beasley Reba Lamb Beasley Michael Bland Charles Carpenter Billy Dent Joan Dent Frank Dixon Edna Dixon Barbara Hales Claudia Johnson L.B. Lamb Terry Lane Elbie Lane Florence Lane Leslie Lee James Smith Margie Hales Smith Timothy Smith Wayne Smith

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Meldrim trestle disaster (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Meldrim trestle disaster

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N 32.144366 ° E -81.403369 °
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Bryan County



Georgia, United States
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Roebling Road Raceway
Roebling Road Raceway

Roebling Road Raceway, formerly Savannah International Raceway, is a 2.02-mile (3.25 km) road racing course located just outside Bloomingdale, Georgia. Opened in 1959, Roebling Road is relatively unique amongst racetracks in that it lacks any accommodations for spectators; there are no grandstands, no picnicking areas, nor any other sort of viewing facilities. The track was designed by John Rueter and held its first Sports Car Club of America event June 11–12, 1960. The track was financed by and named after SCCA supporter Robert Roebling, great-grandson of John A. Roebling.Roebling Road hosts events more than 300 days a year. Events range from media, pro teams testing cars, club racing, and performance driving education events. Club races include the SCCA, the BMW Car Owners Club of America, the Porsche Club of America, the National Auto Sport Association, North American Sports Car Association, and the Vintage Drivers Club of America. The track is used by cars, motorcycles and WKA karts. The PBS television series MotorWeek records its winter track-testing segments at Roebling Road.The track is a very safe and forgiving track, making it ideal to learn on. It is characterized by large amounts of run-off room and only a single wall. Roebling is unusual in that it is owned by a local racing club, the Buccaneer Region of the SCCA. Roebling is a not-for-profit, non-spectator oriented track.Roebling hosts several driver's education oriented events each month. The format varies with the hosting organization. There are relatively expensive events where the organizers provide high performance cars and, there are significantly less expensive events where drivers bring their own cars. As drivers work their way up in skill level, they are allowed to drive on the track "solo".