news article: "Train's running, nobody's home"

[MEC407]

Don't you just love it when a bunch of Joe Blows think they know more about
something than the experts do?


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metr ... rain2.html

[Joe]

Wow, that is way too funny. These people are all like "Whoa, a train stopped, we're all doomed!"

Everyone in town is worrying even when they say that it happens all the time and they never worried before. Then people think it's like a car and you can just walk in and drive off.

OK.
1. Who wants to steal a train? (Besides terrorists, and why would they? They can't steer it anywhere....)
2. Who knows how to operate the train.
3. Who has a spare reverser???

What a bunch of morons....
"I was telling my shop tech, they could shove it into gear and jump off. It's insane, totally insane."

Yeah, just go blabbering on about stuff you don't know anything about.

Anybody live in San Diego and can give that guy a good smack?

[MEC407]

If a terrorist wants to hijak a train, he's gonna do it one way or another, whether the locomotive is occupied or not, and whether it's in a yard or parked on a siding or whatever. Most likely he would get a job with the railroad, work there for a while to gain the trust of his coworkers and supervisors (and learn how to actually operate a locomotive), and then you can figure out the rest. I don't think terrorists are going to just stand around waiting for a train to stop and then hop in and "take off" with it.

Maybe I should call up the newspaper and complain about all the times I've gone to the supermarket or McDonald's or the doughnut shop and seen a police cruiser sitting in the parking lot, running and unattended. Somebody could steal it and run over some children with it! It's insane!

LOL

[AmtrakFan]

What a bunch of Idoits!!!!!!!!! Proves how uneducated the media is.

[Komachi]

To the non-railfan community, it would seem slightly amiss to just walk away and leave a train not only parked, but running on a siding with no crewmembers to guard it. However, with the current state of anxiety after 9/11, Spain (4/11) and London (7/7), people are a tad nervous about trains just sitting around... especially if there's chemicals involved.

But, as has been stated, there's more to getting a train "in gear" and drving off with it.

MEC407 I would like to add to your comments on "sleepers" among the ranks of railroad workers, given the fact that they are willing to lie in wait for long periods of time (many months if not years) before carrying out their plans. It is highly plausible that there are potential terrorists working in the rail industry (not to mention other transportation, service or trade industries).

NOTE: I am not advocating wholesale racial profiling or trying to intensify the paranoia that exsists today. However, statistically speaking, it is not outside the realm of possibility (although, bear in mind that there are lies, there are damned lies and then there are statistics...).

[Amtrak31]

Whenever I'm out on the EJ&E, a daily UP loaded coal trains comes through my town, stops, the crew gets off, and they drive away. They leave the engine idling/ It sometimes sits there for weeks, but that has only happened a few times. Otherwise, it leave around 3:30 in the afternoon with a new crew. It sits there everyday.

[MEC407]

My local railroad is always short on crew members and locomotives... so they're always leaving freight trains parked for hours or days at a time. Locals have often complained about the noise or the smell, or both, but I don't recall anybody ever complaining about the possibility that somebody could hijak the train.

[MetraBNSF]

On the UP Geneva Subdivision through the west suburbs of Chicago, eastbound freights will idle in Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, and West Chicago as they await clearance into Global II at Proviso. During idle time, its possible for crews to take off and a new crew to show up. Locals have complained about the noise, smell, and its also a safety concern.

[Amtrak31]

The UP that sits by my house idles next to newly built houses. Everytime it takes off, which is sometimes during the night, I have wondered what it was like to smell the smoke while you are asleep. The noise of it throttling up would have to wake you. I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone complaining in the area. They probably will soon.

[MEC407]

It's just part of life near the tracks. Nobody forced them to live there.

[Amtrak31]

I agree. I hear people are going door to door with petitions to make trains stop blowing their horns at grade crossings. I will not sign any petition. If the people with petitions don't want trains to honk, they should move out or move away from the tracks. Like you said, nobody forced them to live by the tracks.

[nate]

1. Who wants to steal a train?

I wouldn't mind taking a train out for a spin sometime

[nate]

I agree. I hear people are going door to door with petitions to make trains stop blowing their horns at grade crossings. I will not sign any petition. If the people with petitions don't want trains to honk, they should move out or move away from the tracks. Like you said, nobody forced them to live by the tracks.

Ames, IA put up horns at the crossings that are directional or whatever, but every once in a while a UP freight still comes through with its horn blowing. I don't think it hurts to have horns at both places, seeing how many stupid people are allowed to drive cars anymore.

[The S.P. Caboose]

The weathergirl at KCAL in Los Angeles claims to know how to operate a locomotive. This is one I'd like to see.

The news media has little if any knowledge on the railroad industry.

[MEC407]

It's not just the media, folks. Go back and re-read the article, and pay attention to what the police officer said. He is just as guilty of getting the facts screwed up and scaring people.