On Sunday morning, 5 Nov 1961, Fairland residents were awakened by a 28-train car derailment in the heart of town. The 161-car freight train was en route from Indianapolis to Cincinnati on the New York Central line with 1 loaded & 160 empty cars. The journal box broke on the car that was loaded with steel scrap which led to the derailment. Newspapers across Indiana reported the story. No one was injured, but Bertha Hasler, age 80, was quoted with her description of the loud crash as some of the train cars landed 15 feet from her house. A tool shed & utility poles were smashed. A crew of 20 with 2 wreckers had the site cleared by Monday. We thank Richard "Dick" Thurston for photographing & documenting the scene and his family for sharing the photos! If you have photos of interest, please consider sharing them with the Fairland Historical Society.
The Fairland Historical Society was established in 2024 to share the history of Fairland, Indiana, including Moral & Brandywine Townships in Shelby County. The Fairland Historical Society is a non-profit, public charity, 501(c)(3), 509(a)(2).