The Montparnasse station in Paris is now the most modern in Paris, having been completely rebuilt in 1969 and accordingly is the least interesting.
However, it has earned its place in history because of a crash in 1895, the photos of which have since been reproduced many times in posters, etc. The cause of the accident as given by Wikipedia: on 22 October 1895 of the Granville - Paris express overran a buffer stop. The engine careered across almost 30 metres (98 ft) of the station concourse, crashed through a 60-centimetre (24 in) thick wall, shot across a terrace and sailed out of the station, plummeting onto the Place de Rennes 10 metres (33 ft) below, where it stood on its nose. All on board the train survived, five sustaining injuries: two passengers (out of 131), the fireman and two conductors; however, one woman on the street below was killed by falling masonry. The accident was caused by a faulty Westinghouse brake and the engine drivers who were trying to make up for lost time. A conductor incurred a 25 franc penalty and the engine driver a 50 franc penalty.
Wikipedia also states: "The event captured the imagination of many artists, and inspired surrealism as an art movement." It has also seen some replicas produced in Brazil, an example above.
In conventional art it hasn't featured much, although one well-known painting is: "Gare Montparnasse – The Melancholy of Departure" by Giorgio di Chirico (1888–1978) from 1914, included above.
There is a Parnassus station in New Zealand, or at least there was, those who have our book On The TranzCoastal Route will know the details.
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| trams outside Gare Montparnasse, 1910s |
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