Eastern Railroad Discussion > For Art-Bridge at Confluence

Art, the derailment above occurred on July 23,1982. Peg and I got there on the 24th and the cleanup was underway but not much had been cleared. It was a mixed train, Merchandise and some grain. The derailment extended clear through town involving 25 or 30 cars. At the east side of town a Central Vermont box car narrowly missed the Food Town grocery store. It was 90 degrees to the mainline, hanging just east of the store. On the bridge over rt.281 were two or three grain cars that derailed but remained upright. Nearing the bridge in question a real mess began. 10 or 12 box cars were in a jumbled mass just east of the highway bridge, one box was hanging at an angle down the embankment to the water, one box was in water. It had telescoped so that the roof had buckled upward over the door area. This was the wine car. Cases of wine were smashed to bits but some few remained fairly intact. The remains of the truss bridge was just a tangled mass on the south side of the rail bridge, partly in the water and partly on shore. The wreck cleanup took several days but as you know, water and power as well as a new highway bridge took much, much longer to restore. I have about 40 pictures of the area and will try to get them scanned and send them on.
Ace.