Proceed At Your Own Risk (Dangerous Crossings, etc.)

The accident at Faunce Corner Rd was a truck versus CSX, not Bay Colony.

Faunce Corner Road has actually improved somewhat since the vegetation on the New Bedford
side has been cut back and in general a lot more open. And there's no curve there. The curve
is on the west side of the crossing and has bad sight lines. It's amazing that when FCR was
redone, they didn't apply for gates or at least flashers (like Shawmut Ave in New Bedford)!

d

Burnham Road is another one of those really tight underpasses. The road goes under the MBTA/PAR Haverhill line just south (east) of Frye. Cars need to come to a complete stop before proceeding through the underpass otherwise there could be a head on collision.

In Ballardvale, the bridge across Central Street used to be called the "Horn Bridge" because you'd beep your horn as you approached the interesection. There is a 4-way intersection on the Ballardvale side of the Shawsheen river just after going under the railroad. The view from the this stop sign is blocked to the left on to Andover Street by the railroad grade.

John

If you want tight underpasses, none can beat the two in Royalton, Vermont on the CV/NECR.

I heard that the bedford-billerica branch used to cross the highway Rt 3 (north of burlington) at grade. Theres very little sign of this line left, but thats a full 65 MPH highway which means 80mph average speed. That must have been extremely dangerous to stop traffic on a highway to let a train go by. And my poor suspension, it hurts just thinking about it. I'd love to see pictures of this crossing, anyone know of any?

At Fletcher's Granite Quarry, where their track crosses Route 40 in Westford. The crossing has been improved within the past few years, it now has overhead LED flashers and an electronic bell. The crossing itself is relatively safe, but the track going through there is on a 2% or so grade. Since the trains only haul large heavy granite blocks down the hill, a runaway train going through that crossing could be catastrophic. If the train wasn't stopped at that crossing, with a heavy load and that hill, the train could possibly make it as far as the Brookside Road crossing, which doesn't even have crossbucks.

l008com wrote:I heard that the bedford-billerica branch used to cross the highway Rt 3 (north of burlington) at grade. Theres very little sign of this line left, but thats a full 65 MPH highway which means 80mph average speed. That must have been extremely dangerous to stop traffic on a highway to let a train go by. And my poor suspension, it hurts just thinking about it. I'd love to see pictures of this crossing, anyone know of any?

It's still visible on the north bound side of rte 3 but it's hard to see it from the south bound side. Much changed with the widening of rte 3 from four lanes to six lanes about 8 to 10 years ago. The speed limit is 55 and although people may do 80 now a days, I don't think speeding was as big off an issued when the line was in service; though travelling at 55 I bet was still tough to stop when the crossing lights were activated. I wonder even with the lights if the B&M still had to stop before crossing or if they just kept on rolling?

I never got to see it in use, but where the Framingham & Lowell crossed route 2 at grade, that must've been interesting. I saw the picture of the orange 44-tonner running through there. Then again, is this thread for the most dangerous of all time, or is it supposed to be just for those in current use?

Hey heres an idea, link some pics if your picks! I already broke this with Rt3 but i know of no pics so

I got one low bridge on the franklin line after plimtonville station heading ib plimton st crosses under it blind corner each way along with who knows how many 18 wheelers get stuck there using it as a shortcut to 1a