• Story of Only Four-Train Wreck in U.S. History (Ct.-1891)

  • Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
  by 3rdrail
 
I happened to just stumble on this tonight. It's the fascinating story of America's only four train wreck with tragic consequences. I may take a ride down there one of these days as it sounds as if traces of the old ROW may still be visible.
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4T ... rain_Wreck

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/fe ... sion/14202
  by dcm74
 
You can read more about this wreck if you can find a copy of the now defunct New England States Limited magazine, Vol IV, No. 4, published in September 1982. The article was written by Gregg Turner and the late Alice Ramsdell, two of the leading authorities on Connecticut railroad history.
  by Ridgefielder
 
There are also several pages, with photographs, devoted to the wreck in Connecticut Railroads... An Illustrated History by Gregg Turner and Melancthon Jacobus (Hartford, 1986). It's always seemed to me that this may have been one of the final nails in the coffin of the NY&NE, at least in terms of public confidence (and consequently passenger receipts).
  by 3rdrail
 
A very interesting aspect to this story that is placed almost as an afterthought and hardly noticeable is the fact that the Fireman who was assigned as Fireman for the replacement engine for the Long Island & Eastern States Express, Mike Flynn, who was waiting at Putnam, "took his name off the roster as he had had a premonition of disaster". Now, from what I know of railroad protocol, particularly in 1891, wouldn't refusing such a job involve serious penalty if not outright suspension or firing ? Or could Mr. Flynn have had sufficient seniority to so decline and not be penalized, in spite of the fact that this was an important emergency assignment ? The reason I ask that is if Flynn was under pressure (and if this story is accurate and not a newspaper's sensationalism) it goes to show how strong this premonition must have been. Any railroaders want to chime in on this one ?
  by dieselbreath
 
3rd rail, the NHRHTA had an article on the East Thompson wreck in their Shoreliner mag with photos of the wreck aftermath. The site is easily accessable. The mainline is now the trunk line trail (in Ma. the stateline is a very short distance away I don't know what they call it in Ct.) and where the Webster branch swings off is a short distance south or west from the bridge. it all happened right there !
  by dieselbreath
 
I should have gone to google earth before I posted. You want to be on East Thompson rd at New rd. Google earth shows a street level photo right where the overhead rr bridge was. You could essentially park where the abutments were and walk up the trail from there, it never was a high clearance bridge so it's not steep there.