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Hi it's me again. This story was posted today on MSNBC web site. When will people learn? Alaska Railroad reminds you: Please stay off tracks Jeffrey Hope Anchorage, Alaska, Aug. 29 - Alaska Railroad officials say an Anchorage man was nearly hit by a train last weekend while trespassing on the tracks. As investigation into the incident continues, officials are trying to get the word out that even walking near railroad tracks is illegal. Railroad officials asked us not to specify the exact location. It's a place south of Anchorage where hunters and fishermen routinely walk the tracks -- despite at least four "No trespassing" signs. One of those was Conrad, a fisherman who wouldn't give his last name. "Do you realize you're trespassing out here?" asks special agent Jim Adams as he drives a specially equipped vehicle down the tracks. "Well, you know, I've been here since 1966 and we never had problems," Conrad responds. "I understand, but you can't be here, sir," Adams says. He's trying to prevent another incident like the one last weekend when it was lucky two people weren't killed. It's also illegal to walk within 100 feet on either side of the track. Near this location, two fishermen were walking the tracks when they heard a train coming. One of the dogs with them ran to the tracks and sat down. The dog wouldn't budge, so with the train coming closer and closer, his owner ran up and grabbed the dog's collar. But it was too late. The train's snow plow hit the dog and knocked both of them off their feet. "The crew, as they go by, they look out and all they see is the man and the dog flying," says ARRC Chief Special Agent Dan Frerich. "At that point, they thought they had a fatality accident." The dog was seriously injured. The men were not hurt, but officials say they will likely face trespassing charges. "It is unlawful to hike on the Alaska Railroad tracks or be on the Alaska Railroad tracks. Our property extends 100 feet either side of the track," Frerich says. Back on the tracks, special agent Adams is telling Conrad he'll only get a warning this time. "How about two warnings?" Conrad asks in good humor. "We don't give two," Adams answers politely. "We just don't want you to get run over, sir. It only takes once." The encounter ends amicably with the fisherman walking back down the tracks. "Every year during hunting season, we start worrying," says railroad conductor Gerald Valinske. Trespassers jeopardize more than just themselves, he says. When an engineer has to apply emergency brakes, there's always a possibility that the train could derail, and the unexpected braking can injure passengers. "It just throws everybody into the tables and you can get hurt real bad," he says. Adams says special agents and extra security guards will be out in force over the next few weeks as they try to keep others from breaking the law. Trespassers can face up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.
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