Derailment in Andover, MA 11-03-2014

[MEC407]

Multiple sources are reporting a freight train derailment in Andover, MA. I haven't found anything on any of the news sites yet. One source is saying that BM 332 is one of the locomotives involved, and that it's lying on its side.

Any confirmation or additional details would surely be appreciated.

[Mikejf]

I just took a call on that, though he said Lawrence area. Locomotive on the conductors side, within feet of being completely on it's side. Crane on the way

[newpylong]

Location of a split point derail within the interlocking. Oops.

[Mikejf]

Split point derail? Signal must have been red for them to get that?

[Mikejf]

Picture is on railpictures, though am unable to link and post here as I am mobile.

[MEC407]

Photo by Conor Griffin:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=504938" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


I guess "lying on its side" was a bit of an exaggeration. Nice to have photographic evidence to the contrary.

I'm amazed by how well the original Guilford paint on that locomotive has held up. But if it wasn't due for a blue dip before, it certainly will be now.

[Mikejf]

Must be some high ground next to it, like some ledge or something. But the photo does contradict the way I was told. Does not look like the conductors side is down at all. But the informant was on scene and it was probably dark.

[newpylong]

Split point derail? Signal must have been red for them to get that?

Yep.

[newpylong]

Photo by Conor Griffin:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=504938" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


I guess "lying on its side" was a bit of an exaggeration. Nice to have photographic evidence to the contrary.

I'm amazed by how well the original Guilford paint on that locomotive has held up. But if it wasn't due for a blue dip before, it certainly will be now.

Can't see from public property but the front half of the engineer's side is resting against the embankment, it probably would have gone all the way over.

[MEC407]

Photo by James Hadad:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=220100" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[KSmitty]

Wonder how bad the damage is. I try to not get to "foamery" but 332 is the last one in service with "BOSTON & MAINE," or for that matter any road name, spelled out instead of "Guilford Rail System."

It is of equal status to 511 in that its "the last Ph.2."

[JCitron]

Must be some high ground next to it, like some ledge or something. But the photo does contradict the way I was told. Does not look like the conductors side is down at all. But the informant was on scene and it was probably dark.

This is at CP Frye where the tracks still drop to single track.

There's a big rock outcropping there, of which part can be seen in the picture. To the left the land is a lot wider than it looks and even though there is drop off on that side of the tracks, it's a lot farther away than the side where the picture was taken from, besides the rock outcropping extends for quite some distance along the tracks where the derailment occurred. If the derailment occurred on the main track, then there would have been some issues because the train could have rolled down the embankment into some houses. Continuing to the left, is Shawsheen Village and the tracks cross over Haverhill Street (Rt. 133) where it could have been worse.

The picture was taken where Burnham Road makes a sharp right, parallels the tracks, then heads under them about a quarter mile down. When I lived in Andover, oh so many years ago, I'd go down there to rail fan.

Here's a Bing Bird's Eye view.

http://binged.it/1wH3oh6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

John