Framingham grade crossing vs. marathon

Is csx asked not to run trains across the route? Has a train ever interrupted a marathon there?

IIRC it happened once in the 50s or 60s. A few runners were able to sprint ahead while the others waited. After that the BAA contacted the railroad (NYC) and there were no further interruptions.

I believe CSX trains will not operate across rte 135 during the marathon at the CP yard lead crossing near CP-22 west of the Framingham station and at the Framingham Secondary (MassDOT owned) crossing near CP-21 east of the Concord St intersection. However, AFAIK, Amtrak and MBTA trains do continue to operate per Monday schedule on the MBTA-owned mainline that parallels rte 135 through Framingham.

The Framingham Secondary is a formerly NH/Old Colony line, so back in the 50s or 60s, it would have been the New Haven trains -- freight only -- that would have crossed 135, although NYC signals would have been controlling the NH one side or the other of Rte. 135 and the NYC main and the-then diamond crossings, crossovers having been put in mebbe early- to mid-80s.
CP-21 is for the easterly approaches to Framingham, including the Framingham Secondary and its access to North Yard, and CP-22 controls the westerly switches accessing North Yard.
Dunno about recently, but there had been stories of problems in the past with crowds fouling the Concord Street/Rte. 126 crossing just east of the station.

I remember a lonng time ago I witnessed a young woman with a baby carriage blocked by some temporarily stationary pig flats from crossing 126. She walked up to the side of a flat, lifted her baby carriage with the baby in it onto the flat, climbs on board, pushed/carried the carriage to the other side, gets down from the car, lifts the carriage off and was on her way. I could tell by the non chalant way she did it that this was a normal operating procedure for that family.

Mebbe things have gotten better, but the Concord Street gates used to get frequently replaced after being driven into/through or otherwise broken on vehicle roofs and hoods.

Bishop St. gates seem to be getting whacked pretty often recently.

Back to the original question:

1907 marathon: lead pack of 10-12 runners made it across a crossing before the rest of the field got stuck behind a freight. Unclear which crossing - could have been the Framingham Secondary or the Holliston Industrial / Milford branch / CP Yard line. Accounts make it clear the incident happened in Framingham, so it wasn't a mainline incident or even the old Hopkinton industrial branch in Ashland (although I'm not even sure that was still in service in early 1900's).
http://archive.boston.com/marathon/history/1907.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The original route of the marathon had it starting near the present day MBTA Ashland station, but on the north side of the B&A on Pleasant Street. The course went east on Pleasant and then south on Main Street over the mainline B&A and to present day route 135 where it rejoined the current marathon route. At some point before 1924, and I can't find a reference to a date, the start line was moved to the Valentine Farm on Route 135 (present day 133 West Union Street), thereby keeping the runners on the south side of the B&A through Ashland. In 1924, the start line was moved west to its present day location in Hopkinton.
http://www.ashlandhistsociety.com/Pages ... -marathon/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not directly related to here, but it has happened recentlyb (specifically, last fall in Oregon).

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/201 ... delay.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You have to wonder how many Boston Dreams were "KO'ed by UP's move?