Framingham Rail Trails Website

Derailment Pictures

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  By the late 1990's traffic on the Phase 3 spur had decreased to less than three trains per week and the condition of the track was as seen here.  People often walked along the track and vandalism was quite common.

A favorite trick of many teenagers was to break the electrical wires which went from the rails to the crossing guard signals.  This would cause the bell to ring and lights to flash, backing traffic up for miles along Edgell Rd or Water St, until a railroad technician could be summoned to repair the damage.

Speed on the line was limited to 8 Mph, but even so it was a little unnerving to see a box car hit a soft spot and begin a slow roll to one side before righting itself and leaning to the other.  This was followed by the cars behind it until the whole train appeared to be doing the bunny hop.

 

 
  The Railroad folks had placed numerous pallets of wooden ties along the rail bed, but before they could get to the task of replacement, several cars full of plywood had rolled off the track and into some wetlands just south of Rte 20 in Sudbury.
The forces must have been pretty strong as evidenced by this couple which was ripped apart by the accident.  
  By the time these pictures were taken several days later, the wheels and cargo had been removed and the rail bed cleared in order to quickly rebuild the rails and return the line to service.  

We assume no one was hurt and don't know what happened to the engine, or how it was removed from the site.

 

  
  There is a Sudbury town well head behind the tree to the right side of this picture.  The controversy over possible water contamination caused the abandonment of this spur when the Railroad company took a hard look at the revenues vs. the costs needed to rebuild.

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