There’s a saying in the southern end of Lancaster County: There’s the right way, the wrong way, and the Pequea. And on October 23, 1985, the small riverside community lived up to that reputation in unforgettable fashion. It was on that day when a freight train derailment turned the Susquehanna into a river of sparkling wine.
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A Sudden Crash Before Dawn
In the early hours of October 23, 1985, a southbound Conrail freight train hauling 74 cars from Harrisburg to Baltimore derailed just south of Pequea. Fourteen of the last cars jumped the tracks along the Port Road rail line, sending three piggyback trailers plummeting from their flatbed cars toward the riverbank.
One of those trailers was filled with hundreds of cases of Cribari Extra Dry California champagne and orange-flavored sparkling wine. When the trailer ruptured, the cases tumbled down the embankment and into the Susquehanna River. Some smashed open on impact, while others bobbed in the water intact, their labels reading simply “CHAMPAGNE.”
By sunrise, the Lancaster County shoreline offered an unusual sight: soggy cardboard cartons, glinting glass bottles, and the subtle fizz of sweet wine meeting cold river water. No hazardous materials were reported—at least not in the official sense.
Cleanup and Curiosity
No injuries were reported in the derailment, and crews quickly uncoupled the derailed section to allow the rest of the train to continue southward. It took over a day to repair more than 1,000 feet of mangled track, during which time freight traffic had to be rerouted through Philadelphia.
Conrail initially dispatched a lone officer to the scene around 5:00 a.m., with full work crews arriving several hours later. But in those early hours before recovery operations began in earnest, the local population had already taken note.
And according to Southern End folklore, many residents came down to “help” with the cleanup effort in their own way.
The Google Map above shows the approximate location of the accident.
A River of Bubbly—and a Town with a Buzz
As the story goes, no one in Pequea was sober for at least a month following the derailment. Some claim entire cases were quietly salvaged before Conrail could secure the area. Others speak of impromptu riverside celebrations and unusually festive bonfires in the weeks that followed.
Whether these tales are strictly true or slightly exaggerated in the telling, the legend of Pequea’s champagne spill has endured for decades.
At the time, David Gould, assistant manager at the Pennsylvania State Store on Fruitville Pike, remarked that a fifth of Cribari champagne sold for $3.98—a modest price for a night of celebration or, as it turned out, a salvage mission. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $11.75 in 2025 dollars, making each recovered bottle a small but sparkling windfall for those lucky—or quick—enough to claim one.
A Toast to the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and the Pequea
While the derailment caused damage to the rail line and a temporary disruption to freight service, its most lasting impact was cultural. The tale has become a part of Lancaster County’s lore—shared at family gatherings, around fire pits, and in the quiet smile of someone who might just still have a bottle tucked away in their basement.
Some call it the most elegant train derailment in local history. Others simply remember it as a day when life along the Susquehanna took an unexpected, effervescent turn.
On this day in 1985, Pequea reminded us that even a rail disaster can come with a toast.
Did You Know?
Not every sparkling wine can be called “champagne.” Since 1891, international trade agreements have restricted the use of the term to wines produced in the Champagne region of France under strict methods. American producers, such as Cribari, often label their bottles “champagne,” but under modern rules, they are technically considered sparkling wines.
Learn More
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