Hey All...You know, I check out all the rail forums and its always the same ole post 911 CRAP!!!. Railroads always seem too be so worried about picture takers, terrorists and bombers, man what a joke. What they need to be worried about is SECURING ALL SLIDING WINDOWS AND
DOORS OF THE LOCOMOTIVES IN CONSISTS. This is an on-going problem with railroads all across this country, and with all the bickering in the forums, its never mentioned. UH OHH. I never thought about that one....This is a very important issue I never hear mentioned. Mayors all over the U.S. are complaining about wanting RR's to start posting armed guards in their yards and on sidings to protect ,hazardous cargo, such as chlorine and LPG. These cities are conducting expensive terrorist drills on how to prepare for a real terrorist attacks. In the major city where I live, on every major line leading into town, (you no the drill) when the yard is full, inbounds are tied up with no crew until they can be brought into the yard. So, these trains sit there, with open cab windows, cab doors unlocked and standing wide open ( and yes alot of these unsecured locos in these consists are LEAD LOCOMOTIVES....not to mention what a rainstorm does to locomotive maintenance budgets annually. This would be the same thing as a Boeing 777 setting on the tarmac overnite with cockpit windows and doors wide open. Without a doubt, this would have to be a dream siteing for a potential terrorist. Here you have a train on a siding 5 miles from a major downtown metropolis, with tankers of chlorine, ammonia, amonium nitrate, and every other chemical you can think of, waiting for some screwball to put it into motion, pulling the throttle back into run 8. Only to jump off and watch the train travel in the darkness towards downtown, wide open to make a major score against america. Well, the average person doesn't have the knowledge of a locomotives operation?, Think again, you can freely read them front to back on the net, you can buy them on ebay. This wasn't written to start a flame war guys, just an opinion at a different angle. I travel all over my major city everyday, including, out in the country and all over america. I see unsecured trains all over the place, and I see it as only a matter of time before this disaster takes place. So, I think their is too much emphasis worrying about picture taking foamers, and not enough about this subject. If, you honestly thought about, it should make you cringe at the site of a lead locomotive, with open windows and doors open,with no crew and the first 20 cars behind the last locomotive being tankers.....probably not, cause you have never thought about it. I see this with all major railroads, as well with small ones. So, next time you leave the office and you are the last one there.......LOCK IT UP!!!.....You may be saving 1000's of lives......enough said, and don't be hating........L8ter