The Deadliest Train Wrecks of New England
ON THE BOOK SHELF
By John M. Malecky January, 2025
The Deadliest Train Wrecks of New England
By Gregg M. Turner
Available from:
FSP Books
433 Main Street, Suite 2A
Hudson, MA 01749
1-800-522-8528
E-mail: support@fire-police-ems.com
Price: $24.99
This is a soft cover book measuring 6 inches by 9 inches, with 102 pages, plus a section of notes. It contains seven chapters of fatal wrecks in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts (two parts), Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, for a total of 18 incidents. The first two occurred in 1853 (one each in Connecticut and Rhode Island), and the latest in 1966 (Massachusetts). The stories are well detailed in explanations on what happened, and who if anyone was to blame. The causes of these crashes include improper brakes, derailments, defective rails, broken car axles, poor construction and maintenance issues, faulty bridge designs, train dispatcher and telegraph operator errors, misinterpretation of train orders and signals by train crews, misplaced switches, objects left on tracks, boiler explosions, speeding, weather washouts, sleep deprived and intoxicated workers, trespassers, livestock, stalled vehicles on tracks and Acts of God. In all of the 18 accidents, nearly 400 people lost their lives, including railroad personnel. There are many black and white pictures, photos, drawings and newspaper pages (showing headlines). The details go as far as to name names of railroad personnel who in one way or another played a role in the disasters. Some of the persons named lost their lives in these incidents. Reading the details, especially about how some of the passengers were killed, tests the emotions of the reader. It is well known that many fire buffs are also railroad buffs. Reading this book gives an education as to how detailed train operations and standards are which otherwise may not be known to those not involved in this interest. The author is from Connecticut and is a collegiate educator. He’s had a lifelong interest in trains, railroading and railway history. He has authored over a dozen awarding winning books and articles.
No information from the author.
