Trespassers?

[deeptrax]

I think I may have spotted a trespasser on a southbound freight a few days ago. This was actually quite fascinating, since I had never seen one before. How common is this? How does PAR feel about/deal with hobos/trainhoppers/trespassers in general?

[Dick H]

When notified of a person(s) riding on a train, PAR advises the train to
stop at a good operational location, where they have the "boys in blue"
waiting to provide the offending person a ride in a "blue light taxi" to
the local police station for "processing".

PAR does not tolerate trespassers on their property, with special attention
to their major yard facilities at East Deerfield, Ayer, Rigby and Waterville.
Also, the Hossac Tunnel area gets extra attention from the PAR PD.

[deeptrax]

How often do you see trespassers anyway?

[Mikejf]

I have heard of near daily occurences in Rigby. Some are Railfans that drive where they are not supposed to.

[ST214]

Hoosac Tunnel is also frequently checked by state troopers. I have never had an issue, but I have seen at least one person leave in the back of a troopers car.

When notified of a person(s) riding on a train, PAR advises the train to
stop at a good operational location, where they have the "boys in blue"
waiting to provide the offending person a ride in a "blue light taxi" to
the local police station for "processing".

PAR does not tolerate trespassers on their property, with special attention
to their major yard facilities at East Deerfield, Ayer, Rigby and Waterville.
Also, the Hossac Tunnel area gets extra attention from the PAR PD.

[jr145]

Lawrence is really bad with trespassers, because the yard and main line cut through two major neighborhoods. When I hired out we did our training in Lawrence, and had people cutting through the train that we were practicing on in between movements.

Granted Lawrence doesn't have the highest IQ rate in the state.

[newpylong]

If I ever had to work Lawrence yard I would be armed... thankfully I never had to being a West Ender.

[TPR37777]

The vast majority of trespassers are simply told to leave. Most departments just don't have the resources to make an arrest for petty misdemeanors, taking a patrol off of the road for hours to complete the booking process, write the report, and monitor the cell block for a prisoner who most likely won't even have the funds to be bailed on personal recognizance. Beyond that, Pan Am made a tactical decision to all but eliminate their police department. Regarding Lawrence, I would love to know what genius at the MBTA spent our money to put up fencing along the Merrimack Street section. There was a reason that the area hadn't been fenced in 176 years, the same reason that the fence is cut in at least 8 places already. You don't need a law degree to know that the liability of having a breached fence is much higher than that of not having one at all. I believe South Lawrence has the highest population density of any of Pan Am's yards, and there is little that can be done about the steady stream of pedestrians, especially on weekend nights. It certainly doesn't help that the yard is barely lit at night, and the equipment garage is somewhat less than secure.

[deeptrax]

Do people actually cut through the Lawrence yard to get across the tracks? It's a pretty good size yard (compared to a normal mainline), isn't it?

[jr145]

Do people actually cut through the Lawrence yard to get across the tracks? It's a pretty good size yard (compared to a normal mainline), isn't it?

Not so much the yard, although you do see people occasionally. But there's an old footbridge at the west end of the yard (connecting Boyd St to Garfield St) that spanned across the mainline that has all but fallen down. Some people still take the risk and use it, but most climb down the hill, cut across the tracks and then go back up the hill on the other side.

[RussNelson]

Not so much the yard, although you do see people occasionally. But there's an old footbridge at the west end of the yard (connecting Boyd St to Garfield St) that spanned across the mainline that has all but fallen down. Some people still take the risk and use it, but most climb down the hill, cut across the tracks and then go back up the hill on the other side.

This footbridge? But it looks like it connects Boyd to Lynn Streets.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/way/202199620

[jr145]

Garfield is the connector that Connects Jamaica and Kent. Lynn St is one block west, and is across the tracks from Lafayette.

That map is wrong, Lynn St is a dead end.


http://www.bing.com/maps/#JnE9LmtlbnQlM ... I4ODQ1MjE=

[RussNelson]

Fixed, thanks! http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/way/8852016

[jr145]

Looks about right. I never liked standing under that bridge, let alone walk across it.

[mulfreak]

Most people are not train smart anymore. They are so immersed in their electronic devices and have no clue to their surroundings. One would be surprised how fast a large freight at 35 MPH can all of a sudden be upon you. A commuter train forget it. Growing up along the freight yards in Lowell I had a classmate in second grade killed hopping freights. Never did do that. Would walk the tracks home from the Bleachery yard after school saying hello to the guys at the station and getting a 10 cent coke there. Mr Fitz and Charlie with their rail caps tilted after switching cars all day,great times. A different era for sure. I don't trespass any more except to get to my old fishing spots along the Concord at The 6 Arch bridge a couple of times a year. I forgot how dirty the cars are as I climbed over a flatbead about three years ago in Wiggenville to get to the other side and had to go home and change. I have seen a few people come of the tracks here at the end of my street. Kids are one thing but adults are watched closely here and at times confronted.