8. Accidents on the railroad were not uncommon
As with other motive devices powered by steam, such as the riverboats common on American waterways, accidents occurred with alarming frequency. Boiler explosions were chief among them. Steam boiler explosions occurred on several occasions during the existence of the Allegheny Portage Railroad, some of them quite dramatic. On May 4, 1852, a boiler in Engine House Number 6, at the head of incline 6, exploded. A piece of the boiler which weighed a quarter of a ton was thrown over 100 feet down the incline. Three men working in the Engine House were badly burned and died later that day from their injuries.
By the end of the day, the damage was cleared away and the incline remained in operation. Injuries along the railroad, no more or less frequent than on more conventional railroads, plagued it throughout its existence. Injuries to passengers were less frequent since most were contained within railcars or boats during the portage. All industrial and mechanical facilities in the mid-19th century were dangerous places for workers. Many of them faced the difficulties and potential accidents of their jobs by bracing themselves with alcohol over the course of the day. The Allegheny Portage Railroad featured many locations where they resorted to liquid courage.