"Ungaurded" train story on local news.

[Railfan1]

While watching the local news this evening I came across an interesting story. A retired Airforce pilot reported a supposedly unguarded parked train carrying over 4,000 short-ranged missles in Mid-town Atlanta. He called 911 and reported it and then the 911 dispatcher contacted the CSX dispatcher and told them it was a concern with "terrorists and all..." then the  dispatcher said that it was in their yard limit so it was safe and they did call a CSX police officer to gaurd the train."CSX did not seemed too concerned with the matter but the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force were... and now they have launched an investigation"(stated CBS news). When "CSX headquarters" were contacted, they responded by saying that they stopped the train because of mechanical failure with two of the locomotives. Later on, CSX police contacted the guy who origanaly called 911 in the first place and told him that they could have him arrested for tresspassing. Well, now there is an investigation because of the train being stopped "unguarded" for 7 hours. You know... the funniest thing about this whole thing is that during and at the end of the story it showed the caller and the news reported walking in the middle of the tracks, clearly tresspassing. So to sum it up, these people were reporting CSX for being "unresponsible" while tresspassing on CSX's property ( and yes, it even had "NO TRESSPASSING" signs posted too!) 

[Anonymous]

I've often wondered if part of RR's  concern against tresspassers is rooted in what the tresspassers might observe (infractions, enviro violations, safety shortcuts, etc) while up close.

[mvlandsw]

How did anyone know that there were missiles on the train?

[CNW 6000]

Antigates that is a very poignant point you make.  I don't want to start a flame war but I could see a grain of truth in that.

[Railfan1]

How did anyone know that there were missiles on the train?

They were on some kind of flatcar loaded on some kind of racks.

[CNW 6000]

Does that yard have electronic surveilance?  A couple of CN yards I've seen do.  That's not the same as a body by the engine but better than nothing...if someone's watching it.

[Railfan1]

Go to this site http://www.cbs46.com/Global/category.asp?C=72710&nav=menu140_6 and it should be one of the top videos.

[CNW 6000]

If I were CSX I'd arrest her or issue her a citation for trespassing.  They have the video proof...lol.

[DrummingTrainfan]

You got to love the hypocracy of many (not all) news anchors and reporters. CSX is so evil for leaving a train where (they think) it is vulnerable, but yet they're all ok (along with the citizen) for STANDING IN THE MIDDLE of the tracks! What if there was security, but it's something that's high-tech and classified; you just never know.

[chad thomas]

We had some gung ho clueless reporter down here make a big deal about a crew "abandoning there running train". He saw the crew go off duty and leave the train idleing. They made it sound like anyone could just take off with it. I bet he felt like a real dip *** when the BNSF was contacted and they told the reporter it was standard operating practice.

[Anonymous]

Antigates that is a very poignant point you make.  I don't want to start a flame war but I could see a grain of truth in that.

I think it's a pretty safe bet.

Even if the railroad is doing NOTHING wrong, there still is the chance that a covered hopper might be leaking flour, ...some "do-goody good" moron comes tresspassing by, see's it, calls the local haz mat squad, and at a minimum the railroad is now forced to prove that no genuine hazard existed. which only costs them money.

For every 10 of those, I'm sure there is one where sensitive matters are the reality, and people have the nerve to wonder why the railroads don't want a bunch of goobers on their property with cameras?  

[edblysard]

Anti...

Not just a grain of truth to it, but a fact.

As you said, when the general public sees some of the things that go on in yards, they think the sky is falling or something close to it.

Ever see a Argon car get shook up some?

It vents, a big, loud, white vapor cloud...which panics anyone not familar with the car or its contents.

Leaking tallow or grease car, they are sure we are dumping chemicals that will destroy the American way of life...not a one of them ever bothers to ask first, they just rush off all in a dither, dialing 911 as fast as they can.

 

And, they present a liability just by being on property...now, not only do I have to watch out for myself, my crew, and other yard crews, but I have to try and keep a eye on the tresspasser too, making sure we dont run over them.

 

Kick a car, and they come unglued...sure a horriblr accident has, or is going to happen...had all of these happen in the 10 years I have been switching.

[Gluefinger]

Hey guys, I think I see some soap acid on the BNSF line.....

[coborn35]

They should have an interview with the CSX trainmaster about all the stuff they "supposedly" do wrong, and then at the end he goes, "Excuse me mam, but your on private property and subject to fines and possbile imprisonment" "As such, all videos shot on said property become CSX property.....HAND IT OVER!"

Meanwhile, You quietly sneak up the lady with a locmotive so you are about 100 feet away. Shut the Genny field off, isolate your unit, center the reverser, fully apply the independent, then....FLOOR IT and TURN ALL THE LIGHTS ON BRIGHT!!!

 

Garuntee she never comes snooping around again.

 

Oh, add the horn for good measure, and the CSX guy can play up the part of a "High Speed Train!!!"

[Railfan1]

Also, I thought filming or photography of military trains was a big no-no.

[BaltACD]

The best security is the security you don't see until you try to do something.

[UPTRAIN]

We pay for military trains and the equipment loaded on them, elect the people that deploy them...why can't we take a picture of it and brag about them, they do on the news when they're showing video of them going across the desert in a convoy at 50 mph, I'd think showing us headed for an enemy target live on the news gives away more secrets than a humvee on a flat car going through Podunk, MO.  Don't look now (insert Middle Eastern Country here), but the military train headed for gaurd camp in Wisconsin just rolled through!

[james saunders]

CSX now has video evidence of at least four people trespassing on their property from that CBS video. They reporter said "its nearly 11 O'clock at night and we were able to set up our cameras and lights, no questions asked" she's basically incriminating herself and suggesting that the railroad is unsafe because there wasn't a csx police officer next to the NO TRESSPASSING sign to tell them otherwise. What would have happened if a train had come and almost hit them? I bet the RR would have been blamed for not stopping them.

Also in the report the CSX dispatcher said " its within our yard limits, so it's pretty safe" the reporter said, they found the train nowhere near the yard itself. that makes that point useless.

I'm behind the railroad on this one.

 

 

[Anonymous]

Funny how our government insists that it MUST have the right to rummage through our homes without warrants, and wiretap our communications in violation of their own published protocols, in the name of making america safe, yet didn't think it necessary to have a guard accompany a shipment of missiles.

That shows right there that their first priority is not in protecting the american people, but rather in protecting their own position in power over us.

[mudchicken]

Usual dumb yellow-press stunt to bump up circulation.

Just try to gain entry to any large city water treatment plant using tank cars of chlorine to treat greywater. You will discover that security will not let you set foot on the place even with a legitimate reason. They aren't afraid of terrorists, they ARE afraid of activist journalists complicating their day.

 

[David_Telesha]

CSX now has video evidence of at least four people trespassing on their property from that CBS video. They reporter said "its nearly 11 O'clock at night and we were able to set up our cameras and lights, no questions asked" she's basically incriminating herself and suggesting that the railroad is unsafe because there wasn't a csx police officer next to the NO TRESSPASSING sign to tell them otherwise..<snip>

Are you kidding me? OMG, nobody questioned the big CBS news truck and crew blatently setting up for a news story....Geez DUH!

Stupidity is abound and alive & well in the media...

[ALCOC415]

I emailed the reporter about her actions just to see what her defense was. I was really surprised that she replied. This is what she wrote;

Mr. Fredrick

    Thank you for contacting me and for your feedback. I completely understand what you are saying. We did go back and forth about standing on the tracks and I have to tell you that I was not convinced it was where we needed to be either. That said, we have a group of people who make the decisions and I will pass your concern as I passed along mine.

    To your point, I was not cited and would have welcomed a security guard of any type in the area. I would welcomed no trespassing signs along that stretch of railroad that butts up to a heavy foot traffic lot. The area we were in there are public offices butted up to the tracks. The concern is that this is the area the explosive cargo was left and it was not an area " in the yard" as we were told.

Thanks again for your commets

Kim Fettig

I replied back to Ms. Fettig about the fact that they are laws about trespassing on railroad property and that it needed to be checked to see what Georgia's laws are on this subject. I also gave her the definition of what a yard and Yard limits are and she replied.

Yes, we I mistyped in my email I know they are police and the Atlanta PD have been complaining for years that they only have a handful and that APD is constanly having to back them up.

The day we were near the no trespassing sign we had CSX permission and the officer was with us during the interview. The night we stood on the tracks we were nowhere near a no trespassing sign and we were in back of a public building. According to the FBI the load was not in Yard Limits.

Thanks again

Kim

I guess no matter what you say some people especially the media think no trespassing does not apply to them. I would like to know how the FBI knows it was not in yard limits do they have a timetable and rulebook?

Dave

 

[David_Telesha]

I emailed the reporter about her actions just to see what her defense was. I was really surprised that she replied. This is what she wrote;

<snip>

I replied back to Ms. Fettig about the fact that they are laws about trespassing on railroad property and that it needed to be checked to see what Georgia's laws are on this subject. I also gave her the definition of what a yard and Yard limits are and she replied.

<snip>

I guess no matter what you say some people especially the media think no trespassing does not apply to them. I would like to know how the FBI knows it was not in yard limits do they have a timetable and rulebook?

Dave

I have been become quite well versed on the issue of trespassing following several instances in Connecticut in which the issue has come up. The first stemmed from an article published by a recreation writer for the Hartford Courant writing about how much fun it is to go into the quite active, narrow, and dangerous Taftville Tunnel in CT on the Providence and Worcester Norwich main line on a nature/history walk. He promptly made his next article about how stupid it was of him to publish that, even quoting me and a P&W engineer/conductor in his retraction.

I've also had a 1/2 page editorial published in the New London Day in response to a NIMBY's charges the reactivation of the P&W's Willimantic line is dangerous to the nature lovers; in part because they are now walking on the tracks, which have been maintained by P&W for the past 20 years (since the last *regular* train) for reactivation; not hiking.

I've found the FRA's website to be a wonderful asset to combat stupidity and "the law doesn't apply to me" attitudes people have.

Dave, please send the following and the link to Ms. Fettig with my regards:

Georgia

Georgia law states that any person intruding unlawfully upon the tracks of a railroad company without consent is guilty of a misdemeanor. Ga. Code Ann. §46-8-380 (1999).

A person is guilty of criminal trespassing when he knowingly and without authority:

1) Enters upon the land or premises of a railroad or into a railroad car.

2) Enters a railroad car after being notified by the owner that such entry is forbidden.

3) Remains upon the land after being told to leave.

Violation of this section is a misdemeanor. Ga. Code Ann. §16-7-21 (1999).

http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/cross_chp9.pdf#search='railroad%20property%20trespassing'

[james saunders]

CSX now has video evidence of at least four people trespassing on their property from that CBS video. They reporter said "its nearly 11 O'clock at night and we were able to set up our cameras and lights, no questions asked" she's basically incriminating herself and suggesting that the railroad is unsafe because there wasn't a csx police officer next to the NO TRESSPASSING sign to tell them otherwise..<snip>

Are you kidding me? OMG, nobody questioned the big CBS news truck and crew blatently setting up for a news story....Geez DUH!

Stupidity is abound and alive & well in the media...

maybe i'm reading this the wrong way... but you saying i'm stupid for pointing that out?

I live in Australia, I don't know everything thats happened over there... only whats been supplied in this thread...

[David_Telesha]

Are you kidding me? OMG, nobody questioned the big CBS news truck and crew blatently setting up for a news story....Geez DUH!

Stupidity is abound and alive & well in the media...

maybe i'm reading this the wrong way... but you saying i'm stupid for pointing that out?

I live in Australia, I don't know everything thats happened over there... only whats been supplied in this thread...

No not you, James...the news media is stupid...they think its astonishing nobody questioned them in their big news truck about what they were doing....as if they'd be doing anything other than a news story. Re-read the last sentence of my post...you can see who its addressed at.

[james saunders]

Are you kidding me? OMG, nobody questioned the big CBS news truck and crew blatently setting up for a news story....Geez DUH!

Stupidity is abound and alive & well in the media...

maybe i'm reading this the wrong way... but you saying i'm stupid for pointing that out?

I live in Australia, I don't know everything thats happened over there... only whats been supplied in this thread...

No not you, James...the news media is stupid...they think its astonishing nobody questioned them in their big news truck about what they were doing....as if they'd be doing anything other than a news story. Re-read the last sentence of my post...you can see who its addressed at.

I gotchya now

[nucat78]

Hey guys, I think I see some soap acid on the BNSF line.....

I was westbound on METRA that night, heading home from work.  Fortunately, my train backed to Hinsdale where they let us off and there happened to be a street fair with live music and beer.  It did make my commute about 5.5 hours long versus the usual hour.

Last night (7/27) the Naperville station was closed for awhile due to "suspicious boxes" left on the platform - one had empty prescription bottles and one had a block of mud wrapped in plastic.

 

[CatFoodFlambe]

All this fuss..

Wasn't it just last week that a "guarded" (by the driver, I suppose?) missile fell off a truck on a freeway in the Bronx?