Water Washes Out Pittsfield Railroad Berm

By Jane Winn
The BEAT News
04:27PM / Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Print | Email |

iBerkshires received this article from the Berkshire Environmental Action Team. The story was first posted on the BEAT Web site and appears in full below, with minor editing for style and the addition of a lede.

Photos courtesy Jane Winn The BEAT was called out when the river turned brown and 'stuff' was seen floating.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Neighbors along the Houstonic River near Holmes Road prevented a potential disaster on Monday when they flagged down a train before it tried to cross a water-weakened trestle.

The Berkshire Environmental Action Team received a phone call around 5 p.m. on Monday, April 5, from someone living along the Housatonic River near the Holmes Road and Pomeroy Avenue bridges that the river was muddy brown and had stuff floating in it ... lots of stuff. Jane Winn, executive director of BEAT, grabbed a camera and ran to the scene.

Winn joined several river neighbors near the corner of Holmes Road and Pomeroy Avenue, and they explored.

The river was fine at Fred Garner Park — both branches were clear. So the team traced the river from the Pomeroy bridge (near Holmes Road and Miss Hall's School) upstream, where they came across what used to be a swampy area that was now a strongly flowing, muddy little river running into the Housatonic River. Following this muddy river upstream, they came to the source of the problem. What used to be a berm under the railroad tracks had completely washed away, and the water from a very full Morewood Lake was rushing down to the Housatonic River.

Water spilling from Morewood Lake. More pictures here. View Morewood Lake/Rail Crossing in a larger map

The water had washed about 30 feet of the berm away and the banks were still eroding, leaving the train tracks with their ties attached suspended above the gap.

The river neighbors called 911 and were eventually connected to the Fire Department, to whom they reported the problem and asked that the railroad be notified. BEAT also tried to call the Housatonic Railroad directly, but only connected to an answering machine.

Soon, the team was joined by James Conant, chairman of the Pittsfield Conservation Commission and course superintendent of Pittsfield Country Club. He and his family were investigating why the level of Morewood Lake was suddenly dropping. He apparently had been aware of beaver activity at a culvert that had been where the breach occurred. There was no sign of any culvert now!

All agreed no train could make it over those tracks. And then the train whistle sounded.

Two of the river neighbors headed up the tracks in the direction of the whistle. They flagged down the train, whose engineers had been alerted by the Fire Department as well. The train stopped and, the engineers agreed, it would not make it over those tracks. Alert river neighbors had saved them from another disaster that would have been much worse than the one in Lee last week. The engine would have gone straight down into the rushing water with definite injury to people.

Winn was on her way to the site Wednesday afternoon to see if any work was being done on the berm. 

We strongly encourage community submissions about happenings in the Berkshires region. Send articles and images to info@iberkshires.com.

• Pick of the Week: Bray
• Two New Consumer Loan Originators Join Legacy Banks
• 'The Last Exorcism': Speaking of the Devil
• Northern Berkshire Healthcare, Nurses Settle Contract
• Governor Declares Emergency As Hurricane Tracks North