The Boston Highway Train Incident Explained - 1969

https://youtu.be/ScD8ZO7HZSg?si=bo0UkjDGREU4loJH

10 minute video

In January 1969, a dramatic incident occurred when three Penn Central
locomotives derailed and blocked the northbound lane of the Southeast
Expressway in South Boston. The locomotives, part of a freight train,
were traveling on a bridge over the highway when the tracks gave way
due to poor maintenance and the bridge's deterioration. The engines
fell onto the highway, disrupting traffic and causing a major scene.
The Penn Central Railroad, which had formed only a year earlier from
the merger of the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central, was
already struggling financially and operationally, and the derailment
highlighted the infrastructure issues plaguing the company. The
incident underscored broader challenges in the rail industry at the
time, contributing to Penn Central's eventual bankruptcy in 1970.