In the morning hours of Wednesday, 19-Nov-1997, IAIS 400 was leading SD20s 101 and 102 on a 50-car eastbound grain train through Coralville, IA, just west of Iowa City. At 0720h, a gravel truck travelling on what I believe was Deer Creek Road (the crossing immediately east of I-80 bridge over the tracks and US 6 in Coralville) failed to pay any attention to the crossing signals and to the approaching train, and was hit broadside. The 400 spun 180 degrees and wound up nose-down in the deep ditch, 101 landed on its side and mostly upside down in the creek, and 7 of the following cars accordioned up behind, nearly hitting 400. 102 stayed upright, though derailed. The crew luckily came away with only minor injuries.

101 was rebuilt rather quickly, but IAIS 400 was significantly damaged and apparently considered a total loss. 400 went to NRE in Silvis for some time, sitting around until it moved west to the shops at Council Bluffs, IA, on 17-Feb-2000. Nearly two years later, after receiving significant donor parts of ex-IAIS 7976 (was to be IAIS 476, instead became a parts bucket on wheels at Council Bluffs), it emerged as 400 again, except this time with a Paducah-style long hood. For more information on the rebuilding, along with photos, see the IAIS 400 page in the Motive Power section.

[412x640] IAIS 101's cab side, crushed in from rolling over By: NDHolmes	[640x412] The engineer's side of IAIS 101's long hood By: NDHolmes	[640x412] IAIS 400, the lead unit in the crash, showing the damage to the conductor's side By: NDHolmes