On March 21, 1910, a catastrophic railroad accident occurred in Tama County, Iowa, near the town of Gladbrook. Known as the Green Mountain train wreck, it remains the deadliest rail disaster in Iowa history. The crash involved a combined passenger train operated by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, rerouted due to an earlier freight derailment. Over 50 people died and dozens more were injured when two wooden passenger coaches were crushed between steel railcars during a derailment.
Earlier that day, a freight train derailment near Shellsburg, Iowa, blocked the main line of the Rock Island Railroad. As a result, Rock Island’s passenger Trains No. 19 and No. 21, traveling from Chicago and St. Louis respectively, were combined into a single train to continue toward the Twin Cities. Because the mainline was blocked, the train was diverted onto tracks owned by the Chicago Great Western Railway. The combined train left Cedar Rapids and traveled through Marshalltown, heading north.
The combined train consisted of two locomotives at the head, running in reverse (tender-first), followed by a steel Pullman sleeping car. Behind the sleeper were two older wooden coaches—a smoking car and a ladies’ day coach. Additional steel passenger cars were attached to the rear. The positioning of the cars placed heavy steel cars on either side of the lighter wooden coaches, a configuration known to be hazardous due to the potential for telescoping in the event of a collision or derailment.
At approximately 8:17 a.m., while the train traveled northbound near Gladbrook, the lead engine derailed on a curve near a clay embankment. The clay embankment had been weakened by recent weather conditions. When the tender and lead locomotive left the tracks, the second locomotive and steel Pullman car continued forward under momentum, pushing into the two wooden coaches. The wooden cars were compressed and destroyed, collapsing between the steel vehicles—a phenomenon known as telescoping.
The impact resulted in the near-total destruction of the wooden smoking car and ladies’ day coach. Passengers inside the two cars bore the brunt of the disaster. Bodies were crushed, dismembered, and pinned within the wreckage. The heavier steel cars, including the Pullman sleeper and those at the rear, remained mostly intact. No fatalities occurred in the steel cars. The vast majority of deaths occurred in the two wooden coaches.
Reports from newspapers and official inquiries list the death toll between 52 and 54. Nearly all of the deceased were seated in the smoking car and day coach. Many victims were women and children. Some sources mention that the identities of several victims were delayed due to the condition of the bodies. An additional 39 to 50 individuals were reported injured, many with severe wounds. The accident site quickly became a scene of chaos and rescue efforts.
Local residents from Gladbrook and nearby farms responded immediately. Survivors attempted to rescue those trapped in the wreckage. Emergency aid was dispatched from Marshalltown. A relief train carrying doctors, nurses, and equipment arrived approximately two hours after the wreck occurred. Injured passengers were taken to hospitals, private homes, and temporary treatment centers in Marshalltown. Reports indicate that the county coroner was injured in a separate incident while en route to the disaster.
The accident drew national attention due to the high death toll and horrific conditions at the scene. Newspapers described the wreckage in detail and printed casualty lists and witness statements. Photographers, including F. W. Norton of Cedar Rapids, documented the wreck. His real photo postcard of the telescoped Pullman coach at the site remains one of the most circulated visual records of the accident.
An official investigation was conducted by the Iowa Board of Railroad Commissioners. The board held hearings and examined physical evidence at the site. Several possible causes were evaluated, including a broken rail, rail spreading under the weight of the engines, and the failure of the clay embankment. The board ultimately could not determine a definitive cause for the derailment. No criminal charges were filed, and no railroad employees were found liable for the wreck.
Although no legal responsibility was assigned, the wreck prompted increased scrutiny of railroad safety practices. The telescoping of the wooden cars between steel coaches highlighted a dangerous flaw in passenger train design. Wooden coaches were still widely used in 1910, but they lacked the structural integrity to withstand impacts from newer steel railcars. The disaster added to growing momentum within the railroad industry to transition to all-steel passenger cars, which were more resistant to crushing and offered greater protection for occupants.
The Green Mountain train wreck remains a defining event in Iowa’s transportation history. It is the state’s most deadly train disaster and among the most significant in early 20th-century American railroading. The tragedy served as a case study in rail safety and the dangers of mixing steel and wooden rolling stock. It also underscored the importance of proper track inspection, especially when rerouting trains onto unfamiliar or secondary lines.
The accident's memory persists through local history books, railroading studies, and commemorations. In 2025, historian Scott Foens published a detailed account titled Green Mountain: Iowa’s Deadliest Train Wreck, based on newspaper archives, railroad records, and official inquest transcripts. His research clarified several key facts, including the precise train composition, exact location of the crash site, and the role of rerouted tracks in the derailment.
The Green Mountain calamity exemplifies a period of transition in American railroading. It illustrates the vulnerabilities of outdated rolling stock and the need for structural reform in passenger rail design. While safety standards have improved dramatically in the decades since, the events of March 21, 1910 remain a solemn reminder of the lives lost and the consequences of mechanical failure, routing decisions, and equipment configuration.
The legacy of the wreck also includes advancements in emergency response protocols. The mobilization of relief trains and medical aid from nearby towns helped shape future strategies for railroad disaster preparedness. The event demonstrated the importance of community involvement, medical coordination, and the challenges of disaster management in rural areas during the early 20th century.
Though more than a century has passed since the Green Mountain train wreck, its significance continues to be studied. It holds a place in both state and national railway history for its tragic scale and the long-term influence it had on train safety policies. Through archival photographs, survivor accounts, and ongoing scholarship, the memory of those lost and the lessons learned remain preserved.
References / More Knowledge:
Foens, Scott. Green Mountain: Iowa’s Deadliest Train Wreck. South Platte Press, 2025.
“Green Mountain Train Wreck,” Wikipedia, Accessed 2025.
Rasdal, Dave. “Iowa’s Great Train Wreck,” The Gazette, March 1, 2010.
Iowa Board of Railroad Commissioners. Official Inquest Report: Rock Island Wreck at Green Mountain, 1910.
“Rock Island Wreck Kills Scores,” Chicago Tribune, March 22, 1910.