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Horn Thefts, Vandalism, and Other Problems
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Author:  Michael E. Allen [ Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:48 am ]
Post subject:  Horn Thefts, Vandalism, and Other Problems
I'd like to thank Dave McGuire for his prompt response to my back-channel on the Perkiomen Branch horn thefts.
(http://rypn.sunserver.com/forum/viewtop ... highlight=).

There has been a rash of various types of locomotive parts theft and vandalism in South Jersey in the past year. The economic damage to the effected operators has exceeded a million dollars. The damage to my customers is at $125 K and still counting. Much of the equipment affected has been preserved or is historically significant in some way or another.

One of the things I've noticed over the years is that the thefts and vandalism tend to break down into four distinct categories and that it is much easier to protect against (and sometimes catch the guy) if you recognize what you're dealing with. I've also noticed that as a general rule the local police do not have a clue what they are dealing with unless we, as the railroads, take the trouble to educate them.

I have a lesson plan left over from the old days that was intended for training municipal and state police in dealing with railroad vandalism and theft which I have decided to dust off and revise. It consists of 4 major parts:
1. Identifying the type of offense
2. Determining the economic loss
3. Applicable Law (varies by jurisdiction)
4. Prevention
(Note: This is not intended to go into the safety rules or handling grade crossing or pedestrian accidents. Operation Lifesaver does a pretty good job there already)

My goal is to have a lesson plan which can be adapted for anything from the fifteen minute role call training sessions up to a four hour block when used in an academy setting.

This forum is the best place I can think of for an informal peer review so I am going to post the outline segments one at a time as they reach the point where I’m satisfied.

The outline of Section 1 is below. I welcome your comments

1. Types of Offense:

1.1. Graffiti, Defacement – Just like anywhere else, either artistic release or need mark territory.

1.2. “Random” Damage – Testosterone mixed with alcohol (Does that really require further explanation?).

1.2.1. No real economic incentive for the perpetrator
1.2.2. Damage is di minimis as compared to scrapping or denial
1.2.3. Broken windows, lights, et c
1.2.4. Partying in and/or trashing of stored equipment

1.3. Parts theft

1.3.1. Use – Taken by somebody who believes that he has a use for the item and is not troubled by such minor details as title. (On the high end think “Lasalle and Bureau County IPD box cars”.)
1.3.1.1. Parts Resale – Masquerades as legitimate salvage, often mixed with non-stolen parts somewhere in the supply stream. (OTM and Engine parts in particular.)
1.3.1.2. Horns – Truckers, noise freaks, and fans who don’t know better.

1.3.2. Souvenirs – “It’s all right, I’m a railfan and I’m preserving it”. Alternatively “I have such a deep appreciation for this artifact that the fact that you are required by the FRA to have it on your locomotive is irrelevant.” Occasionally there is an economic motive in acquiring of the souvenir for resale.

1.3.2.1. Number Boards.
1.3.2.2. Builders Plates.
1.3.2.3. Horns and Bells.
1.3.2.4. Anything else that isn’t nailed, strapped, or welded down and seems like it would be neat to have.

1.3.3. Scrap (metal value, not parts) – Strictly an economic issue. This is usually some combination of the lack of local job availability and unwillingness to work.

1.3.3.1. Low end tends to be a crime of opportunity rather than one involving careful planning.
1.3.3.2. Maximized value of material taken for minimum effort.
1.3.3.3. Work done tends to be crude.
1.3.3.4. High scrap metal prices exacerbate the problem.
1.3.3.5. More common in economically depressed areas.

1.4. Denial of Service Attack – damage is done specifically in order to create economic loss to the owner rather than a direct economic benefit to the perpetrator.

1.4.1. Usually a disgruntled former or would be employee, a person who feels he has been wronged by the owner of the equipment, or a commercial dispute.
1.4.2. Perpetrator appeared to have mechanical knowledge or to know what he was doing.
1.4.3. Disables the equipment for longer than it would take to replace a horn or a headlight bulb.
1.4.4. Often characterized by extremely high repair cost when taken as a function of the value of any material removed or the work done to disable the equipment.
1.4.5. Work done to remove parts may seem to outweigh the scrap value

Thank you

Michael E. Allen
W.R. Allen Associates
Rocky Hill, NJ 08553
Author:  Al Stangenberger [ Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Horn Thefts, Vandalism, and Other Problems
Michael E. Allen wrote:
1.3.3. Scrap (metal value, not parts) – Strictly an economic issue. This is usually some combination of the lack of local job availability and unwillingness to work.


Also frequently attributed to drug addicts feeding their habits.
Author:  adammil1 [ Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Horn Thefts, Vandalism, and Other Problems
For resale souvenir parts theft one way to sometimes catch the idiots who do this is to place the item in your favorites search on ebay. May not always work, but I remember in school where some 20 or so specialized/rare computer items were stolen. When only one or two of these things were selling a month all over the country, when 10 of them mysteriously surfaced all in the same town as the school on eBay, that was all the police needed to get a search warrant. When they recovered them they still had the school property tags on them and the students who stole them were caught red handed.

If tons of horns and bells are being stolen all around South Jersey it isn't just a trucker taking one to "pimp" his truck, some one is reselling them and eBay can be one of the easiest places to do such. May even help to stamp into the sides of the horn, Property of XXXX Railroad, so if one surfaces on eBay or some where it isn't too hard to find. Understanding there may not be much space to just go stamping on the bell.

Adam
Author:  EDM [ Fri Nov 16, 2007 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Horn Thefts, Vandalism, and Other Problems
As I have posted on the web before, if any number boards with the numbers 59, 583 or 7221 show up, at shows or on eBay, they are stolen from the ALGX units, practically destroyed while in storage in South Jersey. Unfortunately, I don't know how anyone would mark TM cable, since someone stripping the insulation off would remove any such markings anyway.

In the case of ALGX 7221, perhaps 400 hundred feet of cable was removed. The value of the cable (even new) is but a fraction of the cost of the labor needed to replace it. There are also copper connectors that get crimped on the ends. Each of the traction motors, and a pair on 583, had their leads cut off just a few inches out of the motors. The trucks will have to come out, and the combos removed and taken apart so a motor shop can replace the leads. All for, what, a few hundred dollars in scrap copper?
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