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It's a real shame that there are now railfans who stealing items from preserved steam locomotives of all things! The Strasburg story particularly angers me. How could any of these guys-especially whoever has the number plates-live with their conscience. A railfan should be someone who is in support of the railroads and railroad preservation societies out there. To steal or buy stolen goods goes against their love of trains. I am familiar with the type of theft that ironhorseman is talking about. I am reminded of the Barry Scrapyard in Britain, which had well over 200 steam locomotives. Railfans and preservation groups became very aware of these engines when they sat for a long time without being scrapped. The owners decided to offer these engines to railfans instead of scrapping them and the site became a landmark. However, theft was a huge problem. People would use a torch to cut off vital parts without worrying about what else they damaged while doing it. It led the scrapyard owners to remove all tempting items such as whistles, bells, builders plates, etc. so they wouldn't be stolen and then once an engine was sold give it to the buyer. There is another perfectly legal, but no less unscrupulous thing I've heard of being done. In some third world countries where steam is still being used railfans have actually struck deals with railroad (or whatever industry the engines work for) owners to take off the builders plates from working engines to sell to them. Probably at bargain prices! I myself have a very large collection of items I have picked up from along the tracks such as rusty spikes, etc. Junk that is of no use to the railroads. I wouldn't consider that theft. I would never consider stealing items that a railroad wants or is using. I once met a man who had a large number of beautiful black and white framed pictures that he collected from the rubble after the CP station was torn down in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. These are of great historical signifigance and it was a good thing he saved them. However, had he broken into the station while still in use and taken then he would be a criminal. It's very, very important for railfans to realise that there is a fine line between taking something you find as a souvenir and outright theft. The thing with people who do steal railroad items is that they simply don't care. They know it's wrong, but they do it anyway. I sincerely hope that whoever is behind these thefts is caught and severely prosecuted and that the event is heavily publicised! If that does happen hopefully it will be a good example to make others think twice before doing such a thing!
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