On www.railpace.com/hotnews:
"Between Thursday, April 17 and Saturday, April 19, a set of Nathan 5 Chime Horns were stolen from locomotive GP-9 # 99 on the West Chester Railroad. During the morning of April 19, while setting up for Easter Bunny special trains, the railroad found the horns missing. Also, three out of the four bolts were removed from the horn on RS-18 #1803. However, the thief either changed their mind or was scared off. The horns were in place on Thursday when # 99 was used to pull C-420 #315 to the Yard at West Chester. As a safeguard, the railroad has subsequently removed all horns from its locomotive fleet. (Glenn C. Schwass - posted 4/20)

ALCO C420 ARRIVES ON THE WEST CHESTER R.R.: The West Chester Railroad has acquired former Indiana Hi-Rail C420 315 (ex L&N 1315). The unit has arrived in West Chester, Pa., after departing Indiana on approximately January 16. While en route, the unit lost its horn, bell, and antenna. Prior to being interchanged to the West Chester R.R., the locomotive's wheels were turned by SEPTA. (Glenn C. Schwass - posted 4/19)".

The bad apples strike again.


jcpdeke@aol.com

This comes up so often that it really begs the question- Aren't there specialty fasteners available in the proper sizes?

Weird shaped bolts and anti-tamper (Holt or other) screws and the proper installation tools would be cheaper than new bells, horns and plates.

WE've used caridge bolts with nuts welded inside. We then weld an ugly strap set up over the horn so as to make it a pain in the ass to even unbolt the trumpets. If someone wants them bad enough they will still get them. But at least we made it alot harder.

Our equipment sits in plain site on the side of a very busy state highway and no one seams to have notice the people stealing them the last time around. On the bright side maybe no one will notice the unfotunate "hunting accident" that could befall anyone found stealing things. Sorry officer I don't know what happened I found this man laying here dead wearing antlers, I imagine a hunter shot him thinking he was a deer. LOL

irss@eriecoast.com

How 'bout insulating the horn (electrically) and hooking it up to an old electric fence generator, one with a kick, and wait for the first victem?

Honestly officer those hoods are really dangerous if you don't know what your doing.

(Just turn it off while the cop is recovering evidence)

LOL

pfdx@aol.com

As for equipment in service I can tell you as a carman with TTX Co. that one of the rules of interchange for securement of handholds is to leave 3 threads exposed & then brad (heat & beat) or chisel check the treads so the nuts won't back off. Perhaps a similar approach would work in this instance. Your thief is gonna have to get up there with a torch to remove anything.
More unfortunate to me is how we continually see things disappear in transit when this can very easily be prevented. It's simple folks...remove them yourself prior to shipping. When I prepped Danbury Railway Museum's RS-11 NH 1402,the only survivor of the 15 built for the New Haven, I removed everything that could possibly be scavenged including headlights,numberboards,class lights,marker brackets, horn & then boarded the openings & welded the cab & hood doors shut. I also stencilled the unit with the message that it was owned by the museum & where to ship it! Too often I have heard of individuals who claim they believe they were "saving" a part of something they believed was moving to the scrapper. Yeah,right, okay...my way there's no doubt in anyone's mind that the individual perpetrating this is a thief destroying an artifact destined for preservation.
Anyrate, our "treasure" arrived just as I shipped it except for an air brake problem developed along the way & all the "jewelry" went home with me where it was tagged & locked away until it is returned to the unit. Alot of extra work but it seemed to do the trick. I STRONGLY recommend it.
BTW...the bell & builders plates were already long gone when I inspected the unit. Anybody got these on their book shelf?
Ron Freitag
Vice President & Director of Accessions
Danbury Railway Museum Danbury CT USA

On www.railpace.com/hotnews:
> "Between Thursday, April 17 and
> Saturday, April 19, a set of Nathan 5 Chime
> Horns were stolen from locomotive GP-9 # 99
> on the West Chester Railroad. During the
> morning of April 19, while setting up for
> Easter Bunny special trains, the railroad
> found the horns missing. Also, three out of
> the four bolts were removed from the horn on
> RS-18 #1803. However, the thief either
> changed their mind or was scared off. The
> horns were in place on Thursday when # 99
> was used to pull C-420 #315 to the Yard at
> West Chester. As a safeguard, the railroad
> has subsequently removed all horns from its
> locomotive fleet. (Glenn C. Schwass - posted
> 4/20)

> ALCO C420 ARRIVES ON THE WEST CHESTER R.R.:
> The West Chester Railroad has acquired
> former Indiana Hi-Rail C420 315 (ex L&N
> 1315). The unit has arrived in West Chester,
> Pa., after departing Indiana on
> approximately January 16. While en route,
> the unit lost its horn, bell, and antenna.
> Prior to being interchanged to the West
> Chester R.R., the locomotive's wheels were
> turned by SEPTA. (Glenn C. Schwass - posted
> 4/19)".

> The bad apples strike again.


lbhf1@juno.com

> More unfortunate to me is how we continually
> see things disappear in transit when this
> can very easily be prevented. It's simple
> folks...remove them yourself prior to
> shipping.

That's what the used locomotive professionals do. I attended the CNIC locomotive auction at Woodcrest last year, and the first thing several of the buyers did after taking legal possession of their units was walk over and remove the horn and bell.

pnichol6@prodigy.net