The 1883 Train Disaster They Tried to Hide

The Runaway Train That Killed a Governor’s Wife… and the Railroad Cover-Up That Followed In January 1883, the Atlantic Express rolled backward down the Tehachapi grade with no engines attached. It hit 70 mph, flew off the tracks, and plunged 75 feet into a ravine. Five cars burst into flames. Fifteen people died — including former California Governor John G. Downey’s wife Maria, who had always been terrified of trains. A little girl on the train noticed the cars moving and woke up retired railman G.H. McKenzie just in time to save the rear cars. But the front five cars weren’t so lucky. Then came the cover-up. The Southern Pacific Railroad tried to blame it on “hoboes” attempting a robbery. They even got their crew arrested… then bailed them out in one hour and made the whole case disappear. No trial. No justice. This is the true story of the Tehachapi Wreck of 1883 — one of California’s most tragic and shady railroad disasters.