1956 – Feb 28, speeding train hits stopped train in snow storm, Swampscott Junction, MA–13

— 20 INS. “20 Killed, Scores Injured in Swampscott Train Crash.” Lowell Sun, MA. 2-28-1956, p.1.
–>14 AP. “Portsmouth, H.H. to Boston Train Hit in Rear by Another.” Lowell Sun, MA. 2-28-1956, 1.
— 13 AP. “Engineer Testifies Halted Train…Hurled 120 Feet…” Fitchburg Sentinel, MA. 3-8-1956, p1.
— 13 AP. “Hold Funeral Rites For Nine Who Died In Rail Accident.” North Adams Transcript, MA, 3-2-1956, 1.
— 13 INS. “Reject Efforts of Railroad Brotherhoods…” Lowell Sun, MA. 3-6-1956, p. 10.
— 13 Lowell Sun, MA. “Ask Study of Trains Being Radio Equipped.” 3-1-1956, p. 1.
— 13 Salem News (A. Ostuni). “Swampscott train wreck recalled 60 years later.” 2-26-2016.
— 13 Shaw. Down Brakes: A History of Railway Accidents… 1961, pp. 308-309 and 484.

Narrative Information

Shaw: “…on February 28, 1856, railroad operation were…handicapped in eastern Massachusetts by a heavy, wet snowfall which clung to every object upon which it alighted, including the signal roundels, thus obscuring the aspects of these signals. Under these difficult conditions No. 214, a Boston-bound Boston & Maine commuting train consisting of a road-switcher Diesel and sic cars, was already considerably behind schedule as it approached Swampscott Junction. The enginemen were unable to make out the aspect displayed by signal P.146, a mile and a half north of the junction until, running at a mere 5 m.p.h., they were finally able to discern a faint gleam of green just as they reached it. The next signal was completely blanketed, but because the engineer had been having trouble with his engine and did not wish to stop the train he passed this at the restricted speed of 2 or 3 m.p.h. This was a technical violation of the rules, which called for a full stop, but is hardly censurable under the circumstances. But at the next signal, immediately north of the junction, again no lights were visible, and the train was brought to a halt. The conductor went forward to call the tower operator on the telephone, the fireman climbed the signal to clean out the roundels, and the rear brakeman started back to provide flag protection. The latter had already dropped two five-minute fusees as his train approached the junction, although he could not state positively that either of them had remained alight.

“But within three minutes of No. 214’s stopping and before the rear brakeman had gone 175 feet a following train, No. 2406, consisting of four Budd R.D.C. cars operated in multiple, loomed out of the whirling snowflakes at an estimated 50 m.p.h. and almost before its brakes could be applied crashed into the rear of the standing train. The first Diesel car was ‘split open like a watermelon’, and thirteen of its occupants were killed. No less than 260 passengers claimed injuries.

“While the I.C.C. [Interstate Commerce Commission] seemed to feel, in its investigation, that there was some question of possible brake failure on the part of the R.D.C. train involved, the primary cause of the accident was obviously disregard of signals and excessive speed under the conditions prevailing. Common sense alone should have prohibited No. 2406’s high speed, but the railroad’s rule No. 27 also read specifically: ‘…a signal imperfectly displayed, or the absence of a signal at a place where a signal is usually shown, must be regarded as the most restrictive indication that can be given by that signal…’ As the two enginemen were among the dead, the explanation for these gross violations must remain a matter of conjecture.” (Shaw, Robert. Down Brakes: A History of Railway Accidents, Safety Precautions…Operating Practices…[U.S.]. 1961, pp. 308-309.)

Newspapers

Feb 28, Lowell Sun (INS & AP): “Portsmouth, N.H. to Boston Train Hit in Rear by Another. About a Thousand Passengers Aboard Two Trains; Injured Rushed to Boston, Lynn, Salem.

“Swampscott, Feb. 28 (INS) – Twenty persons were killed and scores injured today when a six-car Boston-bound commuter-filled Buddliner crashed into the rear of a commuter train from Portsmouth, N.H.” (INS. “20 Killed, Scores Injured in Swampscott Train Crash.”. Lowell Sun, MA. 2-28-1956, p.1.)

“Swampscott, Feb 28 (AP) – Two Boston & Maine railroad trains, laden with morning commuters, collided here today. At least 14 were reported dead. Scores were injured, many of them critically. An estimated 1000 passengers were aboard the trains.

“A Danvers to Boston four car stainless steel train plowed into a standing Portsmouth, N.H., to Boston train. Most of the dead were in the Danvers train which left Salem shortly before. The first car of the Danvers train was split open by the crash which crumpled the rear of the Portsmouth train. The injured were rushed to hospitals in the vicinity as ambulances and doctors were hastily summoned….Heavy snow was falling as the commuter-laden trains crashed.

“Edward Penniman, a reporter for the Lynn Item, told of seeing 13 bodies. Another was pinned in a car.

“In the first batch of 25 injured taken to the Lynn hospital were many reported critically injured. The hospital summoned about 75 nurses. Other victims were taken to Marblehead and Salem hospitals and Union hospital, Lynn….

“The Boston & Maine railroad said the streamlined Budd Highliner train, which left Salem at 8:02 a.m. (EST), was due in Boston at 8:33 a.m. The Budd train struck the rear of the Diesel, the B & M said, which had left Portsmouth, N.H. at 6:40 a.m. and was due in Boston at 8:14. The collision occurred at Swampscott Junction as both trains were headed southwest. Swampscott is about six miles from Boston….” (INS. “20 Killed, Scores Injured in Swampscott Train Crash.” Lowell Sun, MA. 2-28-1956, p.1.

March 1, Lowell Sun: “State House, March 1 – The installation of radio equipment on all railroad trains would prevent a repetition of the tragic train wreck which took 13 lives Tuesday, Rep. Edward J. DeSaulnier Jr. (R) of Chelmsford declared last night. He and Rep. Gerald P. Lombard (D) of Fitchburg are co-sponsors of a bill, filed yesterday, which calls for an investigation by a special commission of the feasibility of requiring the installation of such radio equipment on all trains operating in the commonwealth. They filed the bill following the collision of two Boston and Maine trains in Swampscott. It occurred when a passenger train stopped in a heavy snowstorm because of an obscured signal, and was struck from the rear by a Budd commuter. ‘If these trains were radio equipped, this tragedy could have been averted,’ Rep. DeSaulnier said. He pointed out that the stalled train could have communicated its difficulty to a radio control tower which in turn could have warned the oncoming Budd commuter of the existing danger. The DeSaulnier-Lombard bill, because of its late filing date, must be admitted by the rules committee for consideration.

“It would set up a special commission composed of three members of the house of representatives, two members of the senate, and two appointees of Gov. Herter. The commission would study the problem and submit its recommendations to the legislature by April 15. The sponsors said they would agree to give the department of public utilities the authority to waive the radio equipment requirement under special circumstances on lines that are seldom used.” (Lowell Sun, MA. “Ask Study of Trains Being Radio Equipped.” 3-1-1956, p. 1.)

March 2, AP: “Swampscott, Mass. (AP) – Funeral services were held today for nine of the thirteen persons killed in the rear-end crash of two Boston & Maine trains last Tuesday. Another is to be buried tomorrow. Services for the other three victims were held yesterday. Twenty-six of the original 71 persons hospitalized were still in North Shore hospitals today. The names of two are on the danger list.

“The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, meanwhile, went to the defense of Ernest A Tourtellotte, 59, of Winchester, engineer of one of the trains [the Buddliner] who was killed in the crash. The Boston & Maine Railroad said he violated operating rules by going through two snow-covered signal lights and passing a flagman before his train smashed into a standing train. Ernest C. Hopkins, regional representative of the engineers’ union, said he doesn’t think ‘blame should have been places until the investigation of the accident had been completed’ by federal and state officials. Hinting that the engineer might have been having mechanical trouble, Hopkins said: ‘It is quite possible that the engineer was sounding his whistle in order to let everyone know he was in trouble. We don’t have two-way communications in a Budd-liner the self-propelled type of train Tourtellotte was driving and the engineer must rely on the use of a whistle as a danger warning.’ “
(Associated Press. “Hold Funeral Rites For Nine Who Died In Rail Accident.” North Adams Transcript, MA, 3-2-1956, p.1.)

March 6, INS: “Boston, March 6 (INS) – A joint federal and state hearing today rejected efforts of railroad brotherhoods to have separate investigations of the Swampscott and Revere train wrecks of February 28th. The seating capacity of the ballroom of a Boston hotel was taxed with spectators as the hearing opened into the deaths of 13 in the Swampscott ramming of the rear car of a Portsmouth train by a Danvers-to-Boston Budd Highlander commuter train on the Boston and Maine railroad….

“The first witness called was Robert H. Walsh, of Lynn, a signal helper who was on duty at the Lynn tower on the day of the [Swampscott] crash. He said it was snowing hard that morning, that the weather was bad and visibility low and poor….

“Frank Reynolds, assistant to the vice-president in charge of operations, was the second witness. He introduced a book of rules of the road, which was entered in evidence. He was asked about operating rules under weather conditions as described. ‘The basic rule is for restricted speed in connection with imperfectly displayed signals,’ Reynolds said. ‘If the signal cannot be seen or the lights bad, the train should be slowed down to a stop. When a stopped train is likely to be overtaken by a following train, a flagman should go back and give proper signals, lighted fuses at proper intervals, torpedoes and flag signals.’ Asked to define restricted speed, Reynolds said it was speed slow enough so the train could be halted in an instant and Should not exceed 15 miles per hour….”
(INS. “Reject Efforts of Railroad Brotherhoods To Hold Separate Probes of Two Wrecks.” Lowell Sun, MA. 3-6-1956, p. 10.)

March 8, AP: “Boston, March 8 (AP) – The Boston & Maine Railroad rear-end collision in Swampscott which killed 13 persons and injured 283 had such force that it drove the halted train ahead by more than two car lengths – 120 feet, an engineer testified today. Foster R. Spofford, assistant chief engineer of the Boston & Maine, who organized cleanup of the wreck, was the first witness called on the Swampscott smash as the Interstate Commerce Commission and Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities went into a third day of a joint hearing….

Spofford testified the engine and three cars of the struck train at Swampscott appeared to be undamaged when he arrived. The fourth car was damaged at the rear. The fifth car was off the tracks and one truck [wheel assembly] was thrown aside. The sixth and last car of the halted train was thrown over, with one end on the ground and the other resting across the Budd car which struck it. ‘Budd car No. 6150 had very plainly gone under the rear end of train 213,’ Spofford said. The first Budd car was torn to pieces by the impact and Spofford testified the remaining three Budd cars of the second train all were displaced from the tracks.” (Associated Press. “Engineer Testifies Halted Train Was Hurled 120 Feet By Impact.” Fitchburg Sentinel, MA. 3-8-1956, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Engineer Testifies Halted Train Was Hurled 120 Feet By Impact.” Fitchburg Sentinel, MA. 3-8-1956, p. 1. Accessed 3-25-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fitchburg-sentinel-mar-08-1956-p-1/

Associated Press. “Hold Funeral Rites For Nine Who Died In Rail Accident.” North Adams Transcript, MA, 3-2-1956, p.1. Accessed 3-25-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/north-adams-transcript-mar-02-1956-p-2/

Associated Press. “Portsmouth, H.H. to Boston Train Hit in Rear by Another.” Lowell Sun, MA. 2-28-1956, 1. Accessed 3-25-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-sun-feb-28-1956-p-1/

INS. “20 Killed, Scores Injured in Swampscott Train Crash.”. Lowell Sun, MA. 2-28-1956, p.1. Accessed 3-25-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-sun-feb-28-1956-p-1/

INS. “Reject Efforts of Railroad Brotherhoods To Hold Separate Probes of Two Wrecks.” Lowell Sun, MA. 3-6-1956, p10. Accessed 3-25-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-sun-mar-06-1956-p-28/

Lowell Sun, MA. “Ask Study of Trains Being Radio Equipped.” 3-1-1956, p. 1. Accessed 3-25-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-sun-mar-01-1956-p-3/

Salem News (Amanda Ostuni). “Swampscott train wreck recalled 60 years later.” 2-26-2016. Accessed 3-25-2023 at: https://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/swampscott-train-wreck-recalled-60-years-later/article_f86a419e-3450-511c-9998-c9fe464c77d7.html

Shaw, Robert B. Down Brakes: A History of Railway Accidents, Safety Precautions and Operating Practices in the United States. London & Geneva: P.R. MacMillan Limited, 1961.

Wikipedia. “Budd Rail Diesel Car.” 1-8-2023 edit. Accessed 3-25-2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Rail_Diesel_Car