This pass week some bodies deceided to help themselves to many Railroad parts. Last week The Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Rwy. Better known as the Bluebird Passenger Train, located in NW Ohio near Toledo, Onio. Three coaches were broken into where parts were stored for a 1946 Alco. Work was underway for repair work. Windows broken, water pump from the Alco, other parts like the turbo, and air pumps, steel that was laying around, even bottoms, from the coach seats were taken. They entered through breaking out windows and pick locks. They took about everything that was loose and easy to remove. Our 2011 season and possible next year will be put on hold unless we can find another locomotive in which we can purchase at a reasonable price.

Be ware of those who try to sell this items. Your help in locating these parts or those involved would be greatly appreciate

Send a letter out (quickly) to every scrap dealer withing 100 miles and you might find all your missing parts.

There was another thread about this last week. I did mention about contacting the scrap dealers in the area. An Alco turbo isn't something you just pick up and carry away either.

I still can't believe someone stole wicker seats, wicker scrap prices aren't that high yet.

Not to sound too condescending but I have seen wicker chairs with a steel frame wrapped in caning.

Stolen wicker seats???

Every decent crack-head knows to take the; bronze metals then the aluminum, then the rusty heavy metal things last.

Wicker, thats just not typical, and that might be one of your best clues as to where that stuff went to in the night.

These guys probably weren't crackheads at all; they acted like they knew what they were looking for and what they were going to take, and crackheads usually don't take items like locomotive air pumps, water pumps, turbochargers/turbo parts, or even wicker seats! (shakes head) I wouldn't be too sure that this stuff will show up at a scrap dealer; eBay and the like would be more likely. I'd suggest getting in touch with eBay ASAP and letting them know what happened and give them as much information (i.e., part and serial numbers, item descriptions, etc.) as possible so these idiots can be caught if they do try to sell any of these items there.

I'd also recommend getting and using storage containers (preferably used shipping containers); we've used those to store all of the hard to replace or irreplaceable hardware (especially all of the copper, brass, and bronze parts) and no one's broken into them yet. I understand why you chose to put those items in the passenger car (and I certainly don't mean to criticize), but that's not really a good idea in this day and age with all of the railroad-related thefts that have taken place across the country, even if it is on a temporary basis.

Good luck on getting this stuff back; wicker seats can be replaced, and the cars can be repaired, but finding replacement parts or another locomotive at a decent price (and in decent condition) isn't going to be as easy.

Stolen wicker seats?
I'd like someone to clarify if the entire seat was taken or just the metal bases? The seat frames would have been bolted down to the car, so that is a lot of work to remove a seat. Depending on the vintage of the seat, there may have been brass walkover handles that could bring a few cash dollars at scrap.

Wesley

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=8148306

Here is a video about the theft.

Here's a video from a volunteer, bit of a youtube rant, but it has photos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3tdrg96qHA

BE WARNED: The board admins do not want people speculating on the nature of the crime or the perpetrators. That is why they locked the previous thread on this subject. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31458 "More productive discussion in a new thread is welcome..." here we are being productive :)