Of Vandals, Visigoths and "Conrail Boyz"

[wis bang]

Railroads have tryed to put fences along there yards trouble is that these same vandles who tag the cars as well as thows who also brake into them to steal things will cut holes in the fence. The RR's don't have the time to fix holes its it a low priority when it comes down to maintaince which is affected the most during seasonal layoffs or economic depressions.

I managed a rail to truck yard on the NYS&W that was paralell to Conrail. Our fence was cut on the street side [actually a short dead end off the street between a few busniesses] and again onthe conrail side. We used to stitch it up w/ railcar cable seals only to see it cut again a few days later. Shortly later they busted the 'Conrail Boyz' group. We were told they were parking on the dead end and going thru our yard and into the Conrail yard.

I'd bet the fence is still open...

[scharnhorst]

Railroads have tryed to put fences along there yards trouble is that these same vandles who tag the cars as well as thows who also brake into them to steal things will cut holes in the fence. The RR's don't have the time to fix holes its it a low priority when it comes down to maintaince which is affected the most during seasonal layoffs or economic depressions.

I managed a rail to truck yard on the NYS&W that was paralell to Conrail. Our fence was cut on the street side [actually a short dead end off the street between a few busniesses] and again onthe conrail side. We used to stitch it up w/ railcar cable seals only to see it cut again a few days later. Shortly later they busted the 'Conrail Boyz' group. We were told they were parking on the dead end and going thru our yard and into the Conrail yard.

I'd bet the fence is still open...

conrail boyz? this a gang in the area or just a group of extrame railfans hell bent on tresspassing and destorying private property? I often find that Railfans from Pennsylvaina and New Jersy are the most destructive or worst offenders as far as railfans go in the matter of illegal tresspassing on railroad property. We used to spend are time calling the cops on them back when I had worked on the railroad 10 years ago. I can rember the OPP in Canada busting a lot of tresspassers in and around the yards in Southern Ontario most were from the U.S.

[wis bang]

conrail boyz? this a gang in the area or just a group of extrame railfans hell bent on tresspassing and destorying private property? I often find that Railfans from Pennsylvaina and New Jersy are the most destructive or worst offenders as far as railfans go in the matter of illegal tresspassing on railroad property. We used to spend are time calling the cops on them back when I had worked on the railroad 10 years ago. I can rember the OPP in Canada busting a lot of tresspassers in and around the yards in Southern Ontario most were from the U.S.

Conrail Boyz was an organized group systematically stealing high end stuff off Conrail freights in North Bergen and other northern NJ areas, got alot of press when they were busted around 10 - 12 yrs ago...

[LoadLimit]

In reference to the conrail boyz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyNpoji39QA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEAzbh_e ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu4Zim9W ... re=related

very good watch. Its the masterminds episode they did on them

[John_Perkowski]

Per coordination with our Creative Director, Otto, I've moved this part of a thread about tagging, which really discusses thievery on the line, to General Discussion, Operations. Probably more useful to discuss what RR police and loss prevention types do here.

Thanks to all for their input.

[Gadfly]

My first remembrances of vandalized equipment was in the '70's. I first hired to Southern Railway as a storehouse laborer. We began to see a well-drawn cartoon of a little man in a sombrero, under a palm tree, taking a siesta. "Tagging" was almost unknown then, but it, of course, became more and more common over the years. We received stock rail , "package" switches and solid "frogs" in gons, and various other parts in Southern boxcars. We wondered where this little Mexican man was coming from, and we, at first, thought somebody at Hayne car shop was doing it, (where I later worked in the Yard) but that turned out not to be true. The "siesta" drawing became quite well known on SR, I assume on other roads as well, and it was rumored, based on some of the originating waybills, that the artist was an employee of UP out of a Texas yard car shop (car peck), but that was still conjecture. We continued to see the "siesta" drawing for a number of years, and I came across it again and again as I "booked" cars at various yards and agencies.
They finally ceased in the 80's, and we "heard" that it was because the artist had retired and simply lost interest in things railroad! Maybe it was simply a unique way for him to mark cars he had worked on?

We thought the little drawing was cute, harmed no one, was usually drawn with chalk or crayon, and would eventually wash/wear off in the weather.

I, too, think it is a shame that railcars are covered in meaningless paint( that means nothing to the average Joe), and I wish these people could be caught. But it isn't likely.


GF

[railroadcarmover]

Bozo Texino is the name of the sombrero wearing character. I used to see that sketch on railcars too. I found this interesting link about "him".
http://www.texasescapes.com/ClayCoppedg ... Texino.htm

[GOLDEN-ARM]

the little mexican with the sombrero under the palm tree, is "Freddie". Bozo Texino is a cowboy, viewed head on, with a large brimmed cowboy hat, and a cigarette in his mouth, with a few lines floating upward, representing the smoke. i drew enough of them myself, to know. i kinda miss the old ones, pancho of the frisco, collosus of roads ( the cowboy done in profile, with the pipe in his mouth), bozo texino, freddie and a few others.

[Gadfly]

the little mexican with the sombrero under the palm tree, is "Freddie". Bozo Texino is a cowboy, viewed head on, with a large brimmed cowboy hat, and a cigarette in his mouth, with a few lines floating upward, representing the smoke. i drew enough of them myself, to know. i kinda miss the old ones, pancho of the frisco, collosus of roads ( the cowboy done in profile, with the pipe in his mouth), bozo texino, freddie and a few others.

Yep, definitely not the one WE saw! We never knew "Freddie's" name nor the person responsible, of course, but we saw it many times in the 70's and 80's, the little guy snoozing under the palm, the huge sombrero mostly covering his face, decorating gons or boxcars. We, as I mentioned, never really knew the name, but "railroad rumor" (and you railroad employees know how THAT works, told us it originated out of Texas, supposedly on UP, but that is still conjecture on my part; just what I was told. The drawings were pretty consistent, no variations, and suggested they were drawn by one person (to us). They also began to fade out, and the retirement of this mystery artist would explain why (if it is so). I don't know if there were "copycats", but I would assume there were.

GF

[Ken V]

My first remembrances of vandalized equipment was in the '70's. I first hired to Southern Railway as a storehouse laborer. We began to see a well-drawn cartoon of a little man in a sombrero, under a palm tree, taking a siesta.

Would this be one?

[Gadfly]

My first remembrances of vandalized equipment was in the '70's. I first hired to Southern Railway as a storehouse laborer. We began to see a well-drawn cartoon of a little man in a sombrero, under a palm tree, taking a siesta.

Would this be one?

YEP! THAT'S IT! It's been so long, I FORGOT about "Herby"! But its the one we saw the most. Maybe the ones without the "Herby" signature were copycats? Dunno. Could he have been the originator and the one we thought came from Texas? And the time frame is exactly right. I was working at Charlotte Roadway Shops (SR) at the time and saw this many times. COOL! Pobably got the lumber chalk right out of their stores dept! LOL!

[GOLDEN-ARM]

yeah, thats it. brain sludge on my part. herby is the one i was thinking of. (i dunno where i got freddie from. well i do, but not telling) my personal favorite is still the profiled cowboy with his pipe, "collosus of roads". many interesting phrases from that man, applied to the sides of equipment, until he retired. i believe he was a sp guy, from the portland/vancouver area. cars i saw with fresh art, all had originated in the area.

[RDGTRANSMUSEUM]

.........getting back to the Conrail boyz videos,I was there ! We had so much fun running trains thru there. Let me say this....... the video does not give away ALL the secrets on how the BOYZ operated, and im not about to either! Watching this brings back memories for shure.

[sd80mac]

What about "ICH" that I have seen on mostly boxcars?? once I saw on cover hopper for salt.

any one know anything about that?

[steemtrayn]

What about "ICH" that I have seen on mostly boxcars?? once I saw on cover hopper for salt.

any one know anything about that?

ICh, aka "Ichabod:

http://fiveprime.org/hivemind/Tags/ichabod