At some time early in the morning, around 3 am, the Red Arrow had entered a patch of track near Altoona, Pennsylvania, known as the Bennington Curve. The weather conditions were icy and cold.
Bennington Curve The area of track known as Bennington Curve is a
horseshoe curved patch of track that lies in the Allegheny Mountains. Before entering this curve, engineers would routinely stop to ensure that they sufficient brake power before proceeding. The Red Arrow complied with rule and came to a complete stop, then continued its trek into this section of rail. The speed limit when descending was listed as 30 mph.
Loss of control and derailment As the Red Arrow descended down the slope, Bilig peeked out the window of his cabin while descending. Bilig realized that the Red Arrow was gaining too much speed and applied the air brakes, but the train eventually reached a speed of around 65 to 70 mph. Once it reached Bennington Curve, the derailment was inevitable. The Red Arrow tipped over and slid down an embankment, taking the second engine with it. 11 of the railroad cars also jumped track with 5 of them also sliding down the embankment and careening into each other. ==Aftermath==