During World War II, troop trains were given rights over virtually every other train on the road. Such was the case early one morning with west-bound train 69, the New York-Detroit Red Arrow. The train was being handled by a K4s Pacific, as usual, and had to take siding somewhere east of Toledo to meet an eastbound troop trains. Aboard the Red Arrow this day was a prominent personality, Eugene Ormandy, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Ormandy was regarded as the best in his business, and the PRR, a key patron of the Orchestra, took great pride in having him ride its trains. Needless to say, Mr. Ormandy was given the best of treatment.
This day, he was on his way to conduct a performance in Detroit. Well, when that troop train cleared the siding switch, it seems that the Red Arrow‘s hogger was anxious to make up lost time, and he widened on that K4’s throttle too quickly. And wouldn’t you know it … just at that moment, Mr. Ormandy was getting ready to shave. As he prepared to perform the first stroke with his razor, the train’s slack ran out … and Mr. Ormandy slashed his cheek from ear to chin!
Later that day, everybody from the president of the railroad to the engineer on the Red Arrow, from section foremen to the Toledo road foreman of engines, heard about Mr. Ormandy’s accident. It was never to be repeated!
