Fifty thousand people packed a valley 17 miles north of Waco on September 15, 1896 to watch the thrill of a lifetime — a staged train wreck billed as “The Crash at Crush.”

The head-on collision of two 35-ton locomotives showered stunned spectators with sharp shreds of shrapnel.  There were many minor injuries but only two fatalities, a miracle under the circumstances.  The railroad proclaimed the publicity stunt a great success, and Texans talked about it for years to come.