Train Wreck Photos
Photographs of the train derailment in Forge Village the occurred on July 9, 1921. The Stony Brook Railroad was completed in 1848, and became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad Corporation in 1887. The 1921 incident occurred as a result of the doubleheaded weststbound freight train splitting the siding switch, ultimately leading to this train falling into Abbot Worsted sheds. Most of the train crew was rescued, but the lead engineer and head breakman did lose their lives. Maintenance issues by the 1960s led to such accidents becoming more common in Westford and elsewhere. By the 1970s, the Boston & Main were having serous financial issues. The depot at Depot Rd was demolished in 1947, and Graniteville 1952. By 1983, Boston & Maine was purchased by PanAm Railways, and parts of the system still exist today. The Stone Arch Bridge and associated conservation land trails were part of the overall rail system.
For more info about the Stony Brook Railroad up to 1979, see The Stony Brook Railroad
Photographs
Black and White
W.2013.8.1