Sorry if this is a repeat or previously deleted topic. I haven't been on the forums in a while and was surprised nobody posted about the two derailments on August 2. One involving a tank car in Lancaster, MA, and a second one in Framingham's west (Fountain Street) yard.
The Lancaster one made the news and might be googleable, so I won't dwell on it. The Framingham derailment I actually witnessed. At around 5pm a long (roughly 70 car) line was being pushed backwards from Nevins into the west yard. (As an aside, does this yard have an official name? I call it Keefe because Keefe Tech is across the street.) A rail rolled under the Fountain Street bridge, a car went on the ground, and the continued shoving action jackknifed 4 cars across all the yard tracks and the T mainlines. Three trash/C&D cars (AMEX, REGX, and LEWX marks) and one OCPX covered hopper were sideways. I was on a high floor of a nearby building and looked out the window at the banging sounds; the view was blocked by some trees but I saw first one car on the far side of the derailment rocking badly side to side in place, and then the top of the telephone pole next to the access road wilted and disappeared from view as the noises got louder. I had seen the line just a few minutes earlier and clocked that there were no hazmats in the back half at least, so instead of heading for the hills I ran down to see what was up. I saw the two mainline (MBCR) tracks fouled by wreckage so I called 911 and told them to stop traffic on the line. As I held for the State Police I saw the conductor walking around the wrecked cars, on the phone, presumably doing the same thing.
Oddly enough the conductor then vanished and nobody else showed up for at least 15 minutes. I took some photos (which I will post if a moderator allows) and heard the horn of a westbound commuter crossing route 126 to enter Framingham station. I figured word had reached him not to continue west but just in case I jogged around the bend, went up to the cab, got his attention and confirmed that he knew not to proceed. I then returned to the wreck site. The OCPX hopper had gouged a chunk out of the base of the Fountain Street bridge and wiped out the telephone pole with the yard lights on it; the trash cars had destroyed the switch machine and kinked both mainlines, as well as tearing up several yard tracks. Wheels and wheel trucks were strewn about, although none of the cars tipped over. Finally a truck pulled up (a signalman, I believe) and I told him what I saw and left the scene.
I returned at 4am and RJ Corman crew was on scene, rerailing the cars under some Klieg lights. Interesting process, I spectated for an hour or so.
In the wake of this incident one yard track took a while to fix and a second one was occupied by the re-railed cars, during what already seemed like a period of high traffic, so for a few weeks the CP yard was needed for overflow and some switching. Things in Framingham only seemed to have returned to normal about 2 weeks ago.
The Lancaster one made the news and might be googleable, so I won't dwell on it. The Framingham derailment I actually witnessed. At around 5pm a long (roughly 70 car) line was being pushed backwards from Nevins into the west yard. (As an aside, does this yard have an official name? I call it Keefe because Keefe Tech is across the street.) A rail rolled under the Fountain Street bridge, a car went on the ground, and the continued shoving action jackknifed 4 cars across all the yard tracks and the T mainlines. Three trash/C&D cars (AMEX, REGX, and LEWX marks) and one OCPX covered hopper were sideways. I was on a high floor of a nearby building and looked out the window at the banging sounds; the view was blocked by some trees but I saw first one car on the far side of the derailment rocking badly side to side in place, and then the top of the telephone pole next to the access road wilted and disappeared from view as the noises got louder. I had seen the line just a few minutes earlier and clocked that there were no hazmats in the back half at least, so instead of heading for the hills I ran down to see what was up. I saw the two mainline (MBCR) tracks fouled by wreckage so I called 911 and told them to stop traffic on the line. As I held for the State Police I saw the conductor walking around the wrecked cars, on the phone, presumably doing the same thing.
Oddly enough the conductor then vanished and nobody else showed up for at least 15 minutes. I took some photos (which I will post if a moderator allows) and heard the horn of a westbound commuter crossing route 126 to enter Framingham station. I figured word had reached him not to continue west but just in case I jogged around the bend, went up to the cab, got his attention and confirmed that he knew not to proceed. I then returned to the wreck site. The OCPX hopper had gouged a chunk out of the base of the Fountain Street bridge and wiped out the telephone pole with the yard lights on it; the trash cars had destroyed the switch machine and kinked both mainlines, as well as tearing up several yard tracks. Wheels and wheel trucks were strewn about, although none of the cars tipped over. Finally a truck pulled up (a signalman, I believe) and I told him what I saw and left the scene.
I returned at 4am and RJ Corman crew was on scene, rerailing the cars under some Klieg lights. Interesting process, I spectated for an hour or so.
In the wake of this incident one yard track took a while to fix and a second one was occupied by the re-railed cars, during what already seemed like a period of high traffic, so for a few weeks the CP yard was needed for overflow and some switching. Things in Framingham only seemed to have returned to normal about 2 weeks ago.
