carnej1You must be referring to some of our fellow forum members who seem to be promoting the idea that this is the work of terrorists..(insert smiley here)
Nah. Just po boys tryin' to make a livin'. DEEEtroit ain't sophisticated enogh for terrorists to hit.
Norm
tomikawaTT Definitely not enough info. What kind of explosives, how sensitive to shock, etc, etc, etc... Of course, the authorities aren't too anxious to panic the Chicken Littles, most of whom go into, "Run in circles, scream and shout," mode at the slightest perception of danger. Not everyone out there is a former Disaster Control specialist who considers explosives to be tools, not Mighty Engines of Destruction... Chuck, MSgt(ret) USAF
Definitely not enough info. What kind of explosives, how sensitive to shock, etc, etc, etc...
Of course, the authorities aren't too anxious to panic the Chicken Littles, most of whom go into, "Run in circles, scream and shout," mode at the slightest perception of danger. Not everyone out there is a former Disaster Control specialist who considers explosives to be tools, not Mighty Engines of Destruction...
Chuck, MSgt(ret) USAF
Chicken Littles?
You must be referring to some of our fellow forum members who seem to be promoting the idea that this is the work of terrorists..(insert smiley here)
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
I suppose it's possible that they went to the effort of unloading 30+ boxes of the stuff before they knew what they had, but I think other possibilities are that they abandoned the boxes because they thought they were discovered, or maybe the truck to transport the stuff never showed up.
That the boxes were apparently found in a field with only one crate opened suggests that they didn't know exactly what they were getting, and didn't know what to do with it once they got it.
Had the fireworks been their target, I'd opine that no trace of the crates would have been found.
They're looking for a quick buck. Had the load been dynamite or something similar, they might have been able to find a market for it. The powder contained therein notwithstanding, there's not much of a market for commercial grade fireworks. And being a relatively unique item, it'd be easy to identify.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Deggesty And, such a person as one who breaks into railroad cars may not understand the significance of any placard.
And, such a person as one who breaks into railroad cars may not understand the significance of any placard.
As a poster pointed out, the rail car might not have had a hazard placard if it only had a minimal amount. However, if it was placarded with a bright orange sign that said EXPLOSIVES, it's hard to believe that a robber would have had much of a conundrum in understanding the significance of the warning. Even so, they took 30 boxes of the fireworks. I don't pretend to know the criminal mind, but I doubt they would have carried the first 29 boxes before reading the box lable or opening the box. They did open one of the boxes left in the field and take a couple of fireworks.
Unless that is what they were looking for.
Jeff
Johnny
MidlandMike n012944 MidlandMike CatFoodFlambe Mulitple media reports are now saying that the shipment has been recovered by "authorties acting on a tip". No word as to where. My guess is that someone thought they were getting some of electronic goods, and was probably scared to death when they realize what they'd actually gotten their hands on. Even odds that =they= dumped the stuff someplace far away and called it in to escape the heat??? The rail car should have had orange placards saying EXPLOSIVES. Yes, because when people are breaking into things, they stop to read the placard. Pretty hard to miss: https://www.google.com/search?q=hazard+placard+explosive+photo&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&imgil=S75XJ_fSGrjw8M%253A%253BpOwxrEQlc3KjFM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FExplosive_material&source=iu&pf=m&fir=S75XJ_fSGrjw8M%253A%252CpOwxrEQlc3KjFM%252C_&usg=__SLXT25b5JY-oUhgCcKlFMEmZ10Q%3D&dpr=1&ved=0ahUKEwjo1NTFkabMAhXCbSYKHWt_Br0QyjcIPw&ei=PSMcV6jCDsLbmQHr_pnoCw#imgrc=S75XJ_fSGrjw8M%3A
n012944 MidlandMike CatFoodFlambe Mulitple media reports are now saying that the shipment has been recovered by "authorties acting on a tip". No word as to where. My guess is that someone thought they were getting some of electronic goods, and was probably scared to death when they realize what they'd actually gotten their hands on. Even odds that =they= dumped the stuff someplace far away and called it in to escape the heat??? The rail car should have had orange placards saying EXPLOSIVES. Yes, because when people are breaking into things, they stop to read the placard.
MidlandMike CatFoodFlambe Mulitple media reports are now saying that the shipment has been recovered by "authorties acting on a tip". No word as to where. My guess is that someone thought they were getting some of electronic goods, and was probably scared to death when they realize what they'd actually gotten their hands on. Even odds that =they= dumped the stuff someplace far away and called it in to escape the heat??? The rail car should have had orange placards saying EXPLOSIVES.
CatFoodFlambe Mulitple media reports are now saying that the shipment has been recovered by "authorties acting on a tip". No word as to where. My guess is that someone thought they were getting some of electronic goods, and was probably scared to death when they realize what they'd actually gotten their hands on. Even odds that =they= dumped the stuff someplace far away and called it in to escape the heat???
Mulitple media reports are now saying that the shipment has been recovered by "authorties acting on a tip". No word as to where.
My guess is that someone thought they were getting some of electronic goods, and was probably scared to death when they realize what they'd actually gotten their hands on. Even odds that =they= dumped the stuff
someplace far away and called it in to escape the heat???
The rail car should have had orange placards saying EXPLOSIVES.
Yes, because when people are breaking into things, they stop to read the placard.
Pretty hard to miss:
https://www.google.com/search?q=hazard+placard+explosive+photo&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&imgil=S75XJ_fSGrjw8M%253A%253BpOwxrEQlc3KjFM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FExplosive_material&source=iu&pf=m&fir=S75XJ_fSGrjw8M%253A%252CpOwxrEQlc3KjFM%252C_&usg=__SLXT25b5JY-oUhgCcKlFMEmZ10Q%3D&dpr=1&ved=0ahUKEwjo1NTFkabMAhXCbSYKHWt_Br0QyjcIPw&ei=PSMcV6jCDsLbmQHr_pnoCw#imgrc=S75XJ_fSGrjw8M%3A
Only if you are looking for it. Again, someone who is trying to break into something, take stuff and get out as quick as possible is not studing the placards on the container.
An "expensive model collector"
Are these fireworks imported in intermodal containers?
Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer
Balt,
I've also heard it said from crews who work the afore mentioned Ho Chi Min Trail that if their train goes into emergency they won't get out of the cab till security and/or Detroit Police arrive to cover them. I'm sure there are similarly notorious areas in Baltimore.
Firelock76 BaltACD Firelock76 Sorry to get nasty here, but where was the security? Keeping surveillance on railfans with cameras? Keeping security on a train that can exceed 2 miles in length is a daunting task - economics prevent having a security agent on the scene for each car or two. No doubt, so maybe having two mile long freight trains isn't such a good idea, considering what's in the cargo and the areas they have to traverse. As I've said earlier, there's always going to be predators looking for an easy mark who'll steal anything not nailed down, and maybe even that if they've got a bit enough claw hammer to pull up the nails. I know it's not a new problem and maybe it defys solution, but we're in a day and age now where some kind of solutions have to be found, and if the railroads don't come up with some then I just know the blind heavy hand of government bureaucracy's going to come with one no-one's going to like or find a major PITA to implement.
BaltACD Firelock76 Sorry to get nasty here, but where was the security? Keeping surveillance on railfans with cameras? Keeping security on a train that can exceed 2 miles in length is a daunting task - economics prevent having a security agent on the scene for each car or two.
Firelock76 Sorry to get nasty here, but where was the security? Keeping surveillance on railfans with cameras?
Sorry to get nasty here, but where was the security? Keeping surveillance on railfans with cameras?
Keeping security on a train that can exceed 2 miles in length is a daunting task - economics prevent having a security agent on the scene for each car or two.
No doubt, so maybe having two mile long freight trains isn't such a good idea, considering what's in the cargo and the areas they have to traverse.
As I've said earlier, there's always going to be predators looking for an easy mark who'll steal anything not nailed down, and maybe even that if they've got a bit enough claw hammer to pull up the nails.
I know it's not a new problem and maybe it defys solution, but we're in a day and age now where some kind of solutions have to be found, and if the railroads don't come up with some then I just know the blind heavy hand of government bureaucracy's going to come with one no-one's going to like or find a major PITA to implement.
Security is in place where intermodal trains routinely stop - crew changes, pick ups and set offs - you may no see them, but they are there. The desired targets of theives are things that are easily converted into money through various fencing operations (which are also known to RR police, just like they are to local authorities). If there are recurring happenings, there will be traps set for the theives. Just like in the world at large, security is not absolute or perfect. Government has worse problems providing security to their own facilities.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Firelock76I know it's not a new problem and maybe it defys solution, but we're in a day and age now where some kind of solutions have to be found
From what I have understood, it is far, far less expensive to pay an insurance claim on stolen or damaged freight, then to spend the hundreds of millions that it would cost to try and prevent every theft.
Now, if the thefts were causing major destruction to rail cars and or containers then I would guess the RR's would do more.
Ken G Price My N-Scale Layout
Digitrax Super Empire Builder Radio System. South Valley Texas Railroad. SVTRR
N-Scale out west. 1996-1998 or so! UP, SP, Missouri Pacific, C&NW.
"...a large Muslim population...", uhhh, don't go there Marine!
There's good and bad in all races and faiths, just as there's plenty who'll steal anything that's not nailed down just because it's there.
Remember a lot of people of the Muslim faith come here for the same reasons many immigrants in the past came here, my grandparents being among them, the primary reason being they're fed up with conditions in the home country that are never going to change and endurance of same has ceased to be a virtue.
Maybe whoever stole those fireworks dumped 'em because they got cold feet, or because they couldn't figure out how to fence them, or because an explosives theft would bring the wrath of the US anti-terror organizations down them, but thank goodness this ended the way it did.
And black powder being nasty stuff? Well, as one who's burned up quite a bit of it in my "firelocks" let me tell you it CAN be if you don't use common sense in handling it. Just like gasoline when you come right down to it.
Cars (and trailers or containers) only need to be placarded if the shipment is above the level that triggers being a Reportable Quantity. 600 pounds, is not sufficient to activate that trigger in a loaded vehicle of other shipments. UPS & FedEx have many kinds of products in thier shipment vehicles - many of which, if they were in Reportable Quantities would require their own placards.
Oh great
Again how did they know that the Containers has fireworks. This is like the guns that were stolen off containers in Chicago. How many contaners do you have to break in and keep getting cheap doller store stuff before you hit paydirt.
tomikawaTT Nasty small-scale incendiary devices as-is. Add a hard container and shrapnel and you have anti-personnel devices of hand grenade size. Or use them for filler in Boston Marathon type bombs. If some Al Qaida or ISIS operatives or wannabes have this stuff, Ohio isn't the only place that might have a problem. Here's hoping they find the stuff, and the perps, quickly. Chuck
Nasty small-scale incendiary devices as-is. Add a hard container and shrapnel and you have anti-personnel devices of hand grenade size. Or use them for filler in Boston Marathon type bombs.
If some Al Qaida or ISIS operatives or wannabes have this stuff, Ohio isn't the only place that might have a problem. Here's hoping they find the stuff, and the perps, quickly.
Chuck
Just sayin'... There is a large muslim population in that corridor from area of the junction of I75, and I-90 (East of Toledo) North into the area of Detroit Not a good place to loose anything that could go
found .
http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/explosives-stolen-from-detroit-bound-train-recovered-in-detroit-neighborhood
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.