Edmonton Alberta - A northbound CPR Dayliner train from Calgary crashed into the rear of a southbound switch engine in South Edmonton injuring 38 people.
 
Railway workers and firefighters struggled against smashed and twisted steel for 65 minutes to free injured engineer Gordon Payne of Calgary from the compressed wreckage of the deisel-powered Dayliner's cab.
 
"A large crowd of spectators cheered as Payne, finally released, climbed down from the broken cab mainly under his own power, and was placed on a stretcher," the Journal reported.
 
Payne was the only one trapped in the wreckage.
 
Mrs. M. McCaskie of Calgary, who was sitting in the front seat of the train, was the most seriously hurt and was taken to University Hospital with head injuries.
 
All passengers received at least minor bruises and cuts when they were thrust forward in their seats by the sudden stop.
 
Passengers credited the Dayliner's plush seats for saving them from serious injuries.
 
The injured were taken to the nearly Connaught Armouries and made as comfortable as possible until they were taken to the University and General hospitals by ambulances and taxis.
 
The collision occurred just before 22:00 just east of the 104th Street level crossing near 85th Avenue after the Dayliner turned from heading north to travel northwest towards the High Level Bridge.
 
Witnesses estimated the Dayliner, pulling two coaches, was travelling at about 48 kilometres per hour, and the steam engine, which was hauling a string of freight cars, was reversing at about 24 kilometres per hour.
 
The front of the leading Dayliner coach and and the back of the steam locomotive tender jumped about one metre into the air.
 
There was no derailment.
 
Trains to Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Calgary were held up by the accident.
 
The railway line was cleared by midnight and the undamaged rear car of the two-coach Dayliner involved in the crash was back on its southbound run to Calgary the next morning.
 
Regularly scheduled passenger trains served Edmonton and Calgary and the area between on the Canadian Pacific line from 1891 to 1985.
 
Chris Zdeb.