His death certificate says, "He was driving an engine for S-P railroad which derailed." He died of "crush injuries sustained in train wreck" on Walnut Creek Bridge near Calvert, Robertson Co., TX. His usual residence was Ennis, Ellis Co., TX.

Obituary:

DAILY SUN
Corsicana, Navarro Co., TX
31 March 1976

ENNIS ENGINEER KILLED AS BRIDGE COLLAPSES

ENNIS—Lightning is the apparent cause of a Southern Pacific train derailment early yesterday morning near Hearne which resulted in the death of one Ennis man and internal injuries to two others.

K.A. Carver, chief clerk in Southern Pacific's Ennis Office told the Daily Sun this morning that lightning apparently struck a bridge, catching it on fire as the train approached. The dead man, Shelby Arnold Alford, 56, was engineer in the first of three units pulling the 102-car train.

Carver said Alford and others on the train apparently saw that the bridge was on fire and attempted to stop the train, but could not before several cars were on the bridge.

The bridge subsequently collapsed, sending the three engines and 30 other cars into the dry creek bed below….

Services for Alford will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Bunch Chapel in Ennis. The Rev. James Slayton will officiate, and burial will be in Myrtle Cemetery.

He was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, belonged to the Church of God in Ennis and served with the U.S. Navy during World War II.

He was born in Kaufman County and lived in Krisp, Kemp and Dallas before moving to Ennis in 1942.

Survivors include his widow of Ennis; two sons, Jimmy Alford of Houston and Mike Alford of Ennis; three daughters, Mrs. Mike Perry and Miss Marilyn Alford both of Ennis and Mrs. Charles Lipsey of Waxahachie; eight grandchildren; three brothers, George Alford Jr. and James Alford both of Dallas, and William Alford of Waxahachie; five sisters. Mrs. Virgil Boling of Fort Worth, Mrs J.W. Jackson Jr. of Irving, Mrs. A.J. Fox Jr. of Weatherford, Mrs. Mary Hawley of Garland, and Mrs. E.L. Tubb of Centerville.