NEVER GETS OLD!
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The pilot of the diesel must have been a Naval Aviator. The power lines acted as his arresting gear to stop the landing.
Engineer went on to work on the Santa Fe, and operated those F units which ran off the end of track, and almost fell into the street at LA Union Passenger Station.
Los Angeles was a stub terminal in those days, and there are still three tracks between platforms. After uncoupling, the hostlers would pull the locomotive set forward, then “escape” via the center track. Some miscommunication between the hostler and the ground crew resulted in this fabulous photo. The wall is still there, but the street below became the I-10 freeway in the 1950’s.
I once read that No. 19 was repaired and returned to service. A few years later, it wrecked again, rolling over this time. It was again repaired and restored to service.
When Lionel issued a TMCC scale version No. 19 c. 2004, I bought an A-B-A set. But unlike the prototype, I will NOT (as in childhood) roll it over (prototypically) on the living room carpet track! 
Every time I see that picture I always have the same thought - I wonder if the engineer and fireman survived and if they did, did they survive without life/career altering injuries? Just based on the angle of the picture my usual guess is they didn't make it.
I look at it as survival of the fittest. Do you really want that engineer and fireman to operate another train?
There was a less severe but similar accident at the CTA termination station at O'Hare, The CTA trainman( actually a woman) fell asleep and the CTA train decided it was an airplane so bypassed the station and flew up toward the runway.
On March 24, 2014, a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) passenger train overran the bumper at O'Hare , injuring 34 people. At 2:50 a.m. local time (07:50 UTC ), a passenger train overran the bumper at O'Hare . The front car of the eight-car train partially ascended an escalator.
she admitted falling asleep at the controls and disclosed that she had done a similar thing the previous month.
I don't know (she wasn't hurt badly, though others were) if I want to be on her trains. Luckily not a problem.
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Aren't we the cold one - you might want to take some time to read about the working conditions on the railroads in the 19th century - 11 hour days for two to four weeks without a break were common for trainmen and enginemen. On top of all of that, you were only paid for the time of the run - not the waiting nor the time it took to assemble the train.
I don't have a specific quote for European practice but I do know the owners were every bit as ruthless as their U.S. counterparts when it came to worker treatment. As for citing the modern CTA incident - false equivalence.
false equivalence. Steam engine v Electric Commuter car
@CentralFan1976 Thank so much for posting that. I never knew the story, in fact I had assumed the original photo was from England. Anyway, thank you for the education!
Perhaps this was the reason the "cab-forward" design was put on hold for so long
@jhz563 posted:@CentralFan1976 Thank so much for posting that. I never knew the story, in fact I had assumed the original photo was from England. Anyway, thank you for the education!
Glad I could help!
Boy, the wire they used back in the day was sure tough! That SF engine pushed it out close to the wire's breaking point (I think), but the wire "strength" caused the pole to crack instead.
Chuck
The engine is similar to UK engines, although if you look at the station sign above the tender, it says "Chemin de Fer de L'Ouest" ("Railroad of the West").
