Remembering the 1954 Train Accident That Shaped Its Name
By Steve Lent, Crook County Historian
Located about two miles upriver from Maupin, Oregon, Boxcar Rapids is a stretch of the Deschutes River steeped in history and shaped by tragedy. Over the years, it has been called various names, including “Upper Wapinitia Rapids” and “Train Hole Rapids,” but its current name honors a catastrophic train accident that occurred here in January 1954—one of the most devastating in the history of the Oregon Trunk Line of the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway.
On that fateful day, Engineer Ernie Barton and Fireman Earl Sutton were at the helm of the lead engine, No. 857, navigating the tracks along the west side of the Deschutes River. A rockslide had blocked the downriver track, leaving the train with no time to stop. The three diesel-electric locomotives and a dozen boxcars derailed, with some wedging into a narrow cut along the track. Tragically, the lead locomotive, a fire car, and one boxcar plunged into the swollen, fast-moving river.
First responders, including Willis Roberts, Jr., the section manager stationed at Frieda, arrived quickly, but the rescue and recovery efforts were perilous due to the river’s swift currents. It took two weeks to secure a line to the submerged locomotive and another two weeks to recover it from the depths. Barton’s body was found with the locomotive when it was finally pulled from the river.
Efforts to locate Sutton were more challenging. A recovery team attempted to retrieve his body by deploying a cable with sturgeon hooks across the river at Cambrai, hoping to intercept it downstream. Despite these efforts, Sutton’s body was ultimately recovered miles away, near Cedar Island, downstream from Maupin.
In the years since, the rapids have been named Boxcar Rapids in memory of the accident. The site has also claimed lives in boating accidents, as its turbulent waters continue to challenge those who venture through.
Boxcar Rapids serves as a somber reminder of the power of nature and the risks inherent in navigating both rivers and railways in rugged terrain.