Passenger train collides with National Guard vehicle in Plymouth; minor injuries

PLYMOUTH — There were minor injuries after a collision between a Granite State Scenic Railway train and a National Guard truck from Pease on Friday.

Plymouth Fire and Rescue was dispatched at 1:22 p.m. Friday for the T-bone collision. The truck operator reported minor injuries, and denied transport to a hospital, according to a press release from Plymouth Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Pierce. No passengers were on the train at the time.

Route 175-A and Bridge Street were closed for east- and westbound traffic for about three hours that afternoon. Plymouth Police, PSU Police, Lakes Regional Mutual Fire Aid, NH State Police Communications, Patriot Rail Company and NH National Guard assisted Plymouth Fire on the scene.

Pierce said despite the unusual circumstances and potential dangers of this accident, the situation was kept under control.

“It wasn't anything drastic. Certainly, we're lucky no one got seriously injured,” Pierce said. “Certainly, abnormal for Plymouth in general and the state. It’s not something you hear about or read about every day.”

Pierce said the train approached lights, and the bells were active when the truck was on the tracks. He is unsure of the exact circumstances surrounding the accident.

Pierce said one concern was that four or five gallons of hydraulic fluid leaked out of the truck. The leak didn’t cause any issues, and was cleaned up off the road before entering storm drains.

“When the truck hit a T-bone style collision with the train, it snapped the wheel and basically pulled the wheel and axle right out of the gearbox of the truck,” he said. “Military trucks are abnormal, they're not like our vehicles, so they have large capsules of fluid where it pulled the axle right out, and just leaked out all of it.”

Pierce gave a reminder of proper train safety.

“Always slow down when approaching tracks, railroad crossings, because we are getting into the fall season where trains are more prevalent, especially the scenic railway ones,” Pierce said. “Always yield to incoming trains.”

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the type of truck involved in the collision.