Possible explosive device found near railroad tracks

[Victrola1]

Possible explosive device found near railroad tracks

By PEGGY SENZARINO, [e-mail]

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MASON CITY — A possible explosive device found near railroad tracks on Ninth Street Northwest on Monday has been turned over to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Sgt. Greg Scott of the Mason City Police Department said the device, which he declined to describe, was spotted by a railroad employee about 11:50 a.m. Monday in a city parking area between the sidewalk and the street in the 600 block of Ninth Street Northwest.

Scott said the Police Department turned the device over to David Schipper with the State Fire Marshal’s office.

No other information about the possible exposive device is available at this time.

 

http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2010/03/23/news/latest/doc4ba7cc00c853c558372613.txt#vmix_media_id=11910261

[beaulieu]

Hmm, no BATF or FBI, and no mention of a Bomb Squad, either MC Police are a little reckless or they were more sure it wasn't really a bomb than the story makes it sound.

[BNSFwatcher]

If it turns out to be a fusee or a "torpedo", the railroad employee should be terminated and sent to work for the newspaper.  Please keep us posted.

Hays

[RRKen]

BNSFwatcher

If it turns out to be a fusee or a "torpedo", the railroad employee should be terminated and sent to work for the newspaper.  Please keep us posted.

Hays

I see.  And did you attend the training we all had to go through?   Do you know that conductor? 

 I do.  In rules class, he was by far the most informed, and reliable.   His work makes others pale in comparison.  His situational Awareness is exemplary.

 

So again, inform us why HE should be terminated?  

Oh, and I am willing to bet my next paycheck,  you could not do nearly as good a job as he does on a daily basis.

 

Bah!

[Anonymous]

BNSFwatcher

If it turns out to be a fusee or a "torpedo", the railroad employee should be terminated and sent to work for the newspaper.  Please keep us posted.

Hays

 

Forgive him for he is a "foamer" and knows not what he says.

[RRKen]

beaulieu

Hmm, no BATF or FBI, and no mention of a Bomb Squad, either MC Police are a little reckless or they were more sure it wasn't really a bomb than the story makes it sound.

I assure you, they are NOT reckless. Bomb squad?  They are 120 miles away in Des Moines.   BATF?   They might have people in Minneapolis, 130 miles away.   Cedar Rapids 143 miles away may have bomb experts, they do have an FBI office.  

It is up to MCPD and MCFD to determine if it was dangerous or not.  

[tdmidget]

 So, everytime a railroad employee stumbles upon a fusee or torpedo he should start shrieking for the bomb squad?

The fact that it was " turned over" to another agency tells the tale. If there was a real danger it should have been dealt with then and there. Or maybe ther is an epidemic of stupidity in Mason City.

[RRKen]

tdmidget

 So, everytime a railroad employee stumbles upon a fusee or torpedo he should start shrieking for the bomb squad?

The fact that it was " turned over" to another agency tells the tale. If there was a real danger it should have been dealt with then and there. Or maybe ther is an epidemic of stupidity in Mason City.

You do not know what exactly the conductor saw, and what it was in reality.   Have you seen the training they must go through?   The conductor went through channels.  He did his job as he was instructed. 

You assume too much.   And as our training said, assume nothing. 

[zugmann]

tdmidget

 So, everytime a railroad employee stumbles upon a fusee or torpedo he should start shrieking for the bomb squad?

The fact that it was " turned over" to another agency tells the tale. If there was a real danger it should have been dealt with then and there. Or maybe ther is an epidemic of stupidity in Mason City.

 

 

Frist of all.. when is the last time a class-1 used torpedos?  2nd, even the most clueless RRer knows what a fusee is.   So stop the dramatics, please. 

[Anonymous]

zugmann

So stop the dramatics, please.

 

Dramatics?  On a foamer forum?  I'm amazed........

[tdmidget]

 

I don't recall anyone saying that :

1. Class As or any other for that matter still used torpedos

or

2. That rairoad employess din't know what fusee is.

He said that if a railway employee started this ruckus over common railway items ( and yes torpedos can still be found frequently) that they should be fired. And they should.

As far as the article being of any consequence , picture this conversation:

Fire Marshalls Office?

Hey David I got something for you. Looks like it could blow up any second!

[zugmann]

tdmidget

 

I don't recall anyone saying that :

1. Class As or any other for that matter still used torpedos

or

2. That rairoad employess din't know what fusee is.

He said that if a railway employee started this ruckus over common railway items ( and yes torpedos can still be found frequently) that they should be fired. And they should.

As far as the article being of any consequence , picture this conversation:

Fire Marshalls Office?

Hey David I got something for you. Looks like it could blow up any second!

 

 What is a class-a? 

[Anonymous]

tdmidget

 

I don't recall anyone saying that :

1. Class As or any other for that matter still used torpedos

or

2. That rairoad employess din't know what fusee is.

He said that if a railway employee started this ruckus over common railway items ( and yes torpedos can still be found frequently) that they should be fired. And they should.

As far as the article being of any consequence , picture this conversation:

Fire Marshalls Office?

Hey David I got something for you. Looks like it could blow up any second!

 

 Your post is insulting to the extreme to the many railroaders who work very hard in this country.

Perhaps you should just leave rail operations and safety matters to the experts.

[RRKen]

tdmidget

 

I don't recall anyone saying that :

1. Class As or any other for that matter still used torpedos

or

2. That rairoad employess din't know what fusee is.

He said that if a railway employee started this ruckus over common railway items ( and yes torpedos can still be found frequently) that they should be fired. And they should.

As far as the article being of any consequence , picture this conversation:

Fire Marshalls Office?

Hey David I got something for you. Looks like it could blow up any second!

This is rural Iowa,  where you going to find a bomb expert?   Or the BATF? 

And I am telling you now, we do not use torpedos any more, have not for years.  According to the mechanics here, torpedos have been long gone, even on foreign units.  

Again,  how are you sure these were common railroad items the conductor saw?  Are you privey to the investigation?  Please inform the Globe Gazette.

[zugmann]

 I have found a total of ONE torpedo.  Long forgotten in the box on a foreign line locomotive. 

 

Then I saw the fusees and ran away screaming.  Us RRers don't know what those things are...

[zugmann]

 And what happens when a RRer finds a fusee in the fog?

[Anonymous]

zugmann

 And what happens when a RRer finds a fusee in the fog?

 

He shows it to Eleanor Roosevelt who waves from her 1951 Nash.

[tdmidget]

 Zugman, you prove my point. Torpedoes and fusees, whether in common use or not, are still to be found on all roads. They are not a reason to play Chicken little and call the bomb squad. And if there are no experts in explosive devices available, do you pass it around until you find one?

[blownout cylinder]

RRKen

This is rural Iowa,  where you going to find a bomb expert?  

Who you gonna call? Bomb Busters!!

[RRKen]

Murray

zugmann

 And what happens when a RRer finds a fusee in the fog?

 

He shows it to Eleanor Roosevelt who waves from her 1951 Nash.

Wait a second, I thought we were not supposed to talk about Eleanor waving in the fog?

[blownout cylinder]

zugmann

 And what happens when a RRer finds a fusee in the fog?

Ask it if it is lost--------

[Anonymous]

RRKen

Murray

zugmann

 And what happens when a RRer finds a fusee in the fog?

 

He shows it to Eleanor Roosevelt who waves from her 1951 Nash.

 Wait a second, I thought we were not supposed to talk about Eleanor waving in the fog?

 

 

You can provided that Mrs Roosevelt is waving in a safe manner.

[zugmann]

tdmidget

 Zugman, you prove my point. Torpedoes and fusees, whether in common use or not, are still to be found on all roads. They are not a reason to play Chicken little and call the bomb squad. And if there are no experts in explosive devices available, do you pass it around until you find one?

 

 

And you know that it was a fusee or torpedo....

 

 

... how?

[RRKen]

tdmidget

 Zugman, you prove my point. Torpedoes and fusees, whether in common use or not, are still to be found on all roads. They are not a reason to play Chicken little and call the bomb squad. And if there are no experts in explosive devices available, do you pass it around until you find one?

You silly person,   I have been in more terminals and locomotives that I care to think about.   And it is NOT common to find a torpedo,   maybe rare if at all.  Those boxes are empty.   Any in storage were turned over to the carrier. 

Any reference to torpedos have been written out of the rule books.  They NO LONGER exist. 

It is a System wide issue,  not just in your back yard.

I do this for a living sir.  I should know.

[Anonymous]

 http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/d/f/9/3/PicImg_Eleanor_Roosevelt_f05c.jpg

[JT22CW]

tdmidget

Zugman, you prove my point. Torpedoes and fusees, whether in common use or not, are still to be found on all roads. They are not a reason to play Chicken little and call the bomb squad. And if there are no experts in explosive devices available, do you pass it around until you find one?

Am I seeing a foamer trying to argue with rails about their job...?  If so, automatic fail on the foamer's part.

[zugmann]

 Let's summarize what we know:

 

A railroader finds what he considers "suspicious".  Despite popular opinion on here, most RRers are pretty competent. 

 

He reports said object to proper authority AS OUTLINED IN HIS RULE BOOKS.  

Authorities handle object as they see fit. 

 

Now, WHY the heck should we fire this guy?  He is doing his job. 

[wabash1]

Fog Waving Saftey fussee, all in 1 post this is not good, now exsplosive and judgment of duty , looks like this thread is headed for the crapper. Norris you cant blame me this time. good doggie..................

[tomikawaTT]

zugmann

 I have found a total of ONE torpedo.  Long forgotten in the box on a foreign line locomotive. 

 

Then I saw the fusees and ran away screaming.  Us RRers don't know what those things are...

Hey, Zug.  You forgot the smiley(s) for hysterical laughter.

As a former disaster control responder, I was told to isolate any unidentified or known explosive device, clear the area of personnel and wait for a qualified EOD team to deal with it.  I also got to re-calculate the safety zone around each parking spot where a bomb-loaded F-4 might be parked (it was big, and got bigger.)  If, on the other hand, I recognized it as reasonably harmless (grenade with the pin still in, or a pipe nipple without an explosive charge) I could simply remove it and turn it over to EOD when they arrived if potentially explosive, or to recycling if it was simply scrap.

So maybe the conductor saw something he didn't recognize that was actually not an immediate hazard, recognized as such by the responders.  Sounds to me as if everyone involved did what they were supposed to do.

Chuck {MSgt(ret) USAF]

[zugmann]

blownout cylinder

zugmann

 And what happens when a RRer finds a fusee in the fog?

Ask it if it is lost--------

 

 

I just have to respond: