Just before 6 p.m. on January 11, 1966, an eastbound freight train on the Boston & Maine's Western Route derailed at Exeter, New Hampshire. This is the story of one of the B&M's better-known incidents during the 1960s.
I’ll never forget that day. My wife and I were married 3 days before the wreck. We were holed up in our 2nd floor apartment, no money for a honeymoon. I was on winter layoff from my construction job. Word traveled fast, and I ran down to the station. I ended up getting almost 2 weeks off work out it, helping to clean things up.
As a native Exeter resident and lifelong railfan, I knew that Exeter did have some rail spurs (one is even still partially intact today), but I had no idea until now that it had a multi tracked main and a small rail yard to boot. Incredible.
This is especially interesting for me because my father grew up in Exeter, and I myself have quite a few memories of the town. Being a fan of the Boston and Maine, this is both interesting and cool to see what Exeters railway used to look like.
Joe Mantegani (not Mantegana) was my grandfather. He went to visit my grandmother at the hospital because she worked there as a nurse, not because she was a nurse. I grew up in this neighborhood a decade after this accident. I've never seen most of these images. Incredible.
@@bmrrhs This train passed by my house about 40 minutes south...never knew the story, and it is fascinating to think your family was so close to this, but fortunately out of the area at the right moment. Thanks for the recollections.
I lived just blocks from where there was a fatal train-on-car incident. Despite one of my high school teachers and grandmother being both from that city, and hearing stories from both, I didn't learn about the incident to like a couple or so years ago. Then again, I think it happened after my grandmother got married and moved out of state.
Reminds me of a wreck in my town on the NYC water level route in 1956. It literally took the ticket window off the depot and almost took down the tower.
They had a big pile up in my local town in the 60s ,the vans on the train were full of Fish . Fish were everywhere . All over the station , all over the tracks , all over the road at the crossing ! Everwhere was knee deep in Fish ! Then the locals turned up to help clear up the mess !! They said in that town the smell of Frish frying/baking every morning and evening was none stop for about 4 weeks after !!!!
Good to know no one was injured..Trains will do this at times.. I guess that's life ! I was/am living in L.A. when the Northridge accident occurred on Metrolink/ motorman reputedly lost in his cell phone..A number of deaths there including a long time member of the Glendale MRRC... (forgotten his name).. Very sad, in deed...
I was 17 years old I was standing out side of Jerry's when that happened. I went back in and told them what happened. Arthur st Jean was working the counter in the store.
Loved your background music selections!! Great choices. Couldn't find the last one tho. Is it new?? Good video, really enjoyed. See those old Geep's brought back a lot of old memories of my EARLY railfanning days in the late 60"s early 70'svin southern West Virginia Coal Roads. Kanawha, Horse Creek and Pocahontas Divisions. Ps...found it...The 126's not Nat Keefe
I just left the restaurant walked out side. Lit a cigarette. Saw Joe m drive down Lincoln st in the direction of st Michael's church Just about that time I heard what I thought was thunder. I said to myself not in January. Looking around the corner all there was a big cloud Of dust. I went in and told Arthur St Jean what was going on .
I was a baby then, but grew up only an hour away and never heard anyone speak of this. Time passes and people move on, and thankfully no one died. Regardless of any possible convenience, can someone tell me why someone thought having 2 huge propane tanks next to railroad tracks was a good idea?
My father worked there when he was in college. I worked there for a different company from 97-2010. Several of the original buildings were still there. They took the big brick stack down in about 2011.
On the contrary. The common nickname for the paint scheme on the B&M GP9s and GP18s, coined by Boston & Maine fans, was the "Bluebird" scheme. The book "Bluebirds & Minutemen" is a good example of that.
