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  • Massachusetts: steam locomotives in the water?

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

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 #1374215  by pablo
 
A friend of mine is writing something, and he came across a tidbit (he thinks it was a dinner train with the Cape Cod) about a bad accident with at least one locomotive going in the water, and maybe staying there. He said that the details he heard were fuzzy anyway, but I thought I would post something here since I come on this board sometimes. It's supposedly somewhere on Cape Cod or near enough to it.

I found a random like to an old TrainOrders post with a mention of a locomotive in a reservoir, and an accident in 1873, but my friend says that's not it. I found a Google Books reference to a head on on accident somewhere on Cape Cod in the 1850's or so, but it was too far north.

Any of you all heard anything about this? Thanks in advance!

David Becker
 #1374264  by TomNelligan
 
eustis22 wrote:supposably, there is a locomotive in the Piscataqua between portsmouth and kittery.
Yes, that was a Boston & Maine 3600-series 4-6-2 that went splash off the bridge back in the 1930s. Some years later the Army Corps of Engineers dragged it out to deeper water so it wouldn't impede navigation. You could probably find its exact location on a harbor chart if you were interested.
 #1374289  by FLRailFan1
 
TomNelligan wrote:
eustis22 wrote:supposably, there is a locomotive in the Piscataqua between portsmouth and kittery.
Yes, that was a Boston & Maine 3600-series 4-6-2 that went splash off the bridge back in the 1930s. Some years later the Army Corps of Engineers dragged it out to deeper water so it wouldn't impede navigation. You could probably find its exact location on a harbor chart if you were interested.
Get Clive Cussler (the author) to write a novel on it... He did write a novel about a train in New York, and a true story about a lost Kansas Pacific locomotive in Colorado; that might have been insurance fraud.
 #1375049  by arthur d.
 
eustis22 wrote: At any rate it's too close to the Navy base to let the public dive on it.

If that is true, someone isn't doing their job. Guys go in that river all the time, including at least one rec. diver off his back deck in Newcastle.
The real concern is the current, one of the fastest in the world. People have dived on the engine and brought back photo's, but the current seldom cooperates. Locals know this, and stay out of the channel.

For the record, B&M 3666 went swimming in 1939. Some time in the 1960's, the corps of engineers dragged it out of the channel to shallow (40 feet) water on the Maine side. At that time they actually retrieved the trailing truck, which was promptly scrapped.

The B&M guys have one of its rods in the archives over in Chelmsford. Not sure when that item came up.

Back to the OP's question, I recall a story that surfaced a few years ago about a shipment of early locomotives lost at sea in a storm. I just don't remember where. Could have been off Nantucket, the Vinyard, or for all I know, Hampton Roads.
 #1375194  by Ridgefielder
 
arthur d. wrote:Back to the OP's question, I recall a story that surfaced a few years ago about a shipment of early locomotives lost at sea in a storm. I just don't remember where. Could have been off Nantucket, the Vinyard, or for all I know, Hampton Roads.
I remember that story. If I recall correctly, it's off the Jersey Shore somewhere in the vicinity of Long Branch. Think there was a History Channel documentary about it.

While not in the water I believe I remember reading that one of the Nantucket Central locomotives was buried in sand somewhere along Washington St. in Nantucket Town. Whether it's still there or not I don't know.
 #1375324  by B&M 1227
 
almost all of these legends have no basis. 3666 is legitimate, as are the mothballed eagle lake & west branch equipment in the allagash woods. there's stories of lost engines in nearly every county in new england but few if any hold water.

the ht&w story is likely that of a wrecked engine whose boiler languished in a reservoir for many years, but was ultimately cut up (photographed on the first rr fantrip in '34). theres also tales of a deerfield river rr engine beneath the somerset reservoir. i think were you to look you'd be disappointed, however there is a very old boiler acting as a culvert near the former town of mountain mills (htw/drrr interchange).

around ashburnham mass there are bits and pieces of a wrecked mogul but nothing substantial.

there was a 1938 wreck on the cheshire branch that sent a pacific into a ditch. it lay there on its side for a few weeks before ultimately being retrieved despite some suggesting it just sunk into the muck.

i have heard the nantucket story. i cant remember if the engine was removed or not but there was a locomotive buried there.