B&M Accident Harvard Street Medford/Somerville 1957/58

Does anyone know the details of an accident that happened on the B&M in 1957/58 at the Harvard Street bridge on the Medford/Somerville line? I was in 4th grade at the time in a school across the street from the bridge, and I remember the locomotive hanging down onto the street and derailed passenger cars. I would be interested in knowing more about this accident. I believe the engineer was killed in the accident.

Aerie wrote:Does anyone know the details of an accident that happened on the B&M in 1957/58 at the Harvard Street bridge on the Medford/Somerville line? I was in 4th grade at the time in a school across the street from the bridge, and I remember the locomotive hanging down onto the street and derailed passenger cars. I would be interested in knowing more about this accident. I believe the engineer was killed in the accident.

http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.ne ... _railroads

This is a link to the ICC report on the accident.
Click on the listing for ICC Accident reports
Click on 1957, and then scroll down to the listing for Boston and Maine

A quick summary: temporary track was used for repairs/reconstruction of the Harvard St. bridge, temporary speed restriction applied, temporary speed board removed by persond unknown, train hit restriction at track speed, adn overturned. Both engineer and fireman were killed. Fireman was either at, or on his way back to a balky steam generator; so no one was with engineer to remind him of the restriction.

You can still see that the brick on the corner of the building at the wreck site has a different color in the panel that was knocked out by the train. Sort of a subtle memorial.

DAW

I believe there are some pictures on nerail.org

http://tinyurl.com/ua2oz

Thank you very much!

Was the engine badly damaged in the accident? Other than it being up side down in the picture; was it scrapped after or fixed and put back in service? Maybe it’s just me but one of the buildings in the left looked like part of the building fell down!???

Locomotives 4224 A&B (both EMD F-2s) were damaged beyond repair and scrapped.
Engineer HAROLD DANFORTH (age 62 or 63, ran supply trains in Europe in WW-1) and Fireman GEORGE D. MURPHY (30, of Manchester NH) were killed instantly in the wreck.
Fireman Murphy was expecting the birth of his first child just two weeks in the future.
Baggagemaster PHIL DEMING was injured slightly, returned to work, eventually worked aboard the short lived (1979-1981) revival of Concord NH passenger service.
A few years earlier HAROLD DANFORTH regularly worked an assignment in which STREAMLINER 6000 was used for severa SUNDAY trips between Boston and Lowell. This was during the time in which 6000 was assigned to the Boston-Troy NY MINUTE MAN.
If any of you remember the late BOB "Drawbar" SILK, Mr Silk was his fireman on that assignment.

I too, was at that wreck scene in 1957. Aerie, if you would like to see B&M's official photos and photos my dad took of the remains of 4224 when he worked at Billerica Shops, contact me at [email protected]

Harold Danforth, the engineer was my grandfather. I never knew him as I was born the year the accident happened. I remember hearing about the accident as a kid but I don't remember much just that Nana Rita's husband was killed in the wreck.

I would be interested in seeing and if possible obtain copies of any photographs or any printed articles about the accident. I am trying to put together a family history.

Thanks for the info that I've read, it's more than I knew.


Ginny (Lang) Atwater