Out there in my extended family is a another gentleman who is, as I am, a semi-retired barrister. His passions are sailboats and fine art. He not only brokers art between various collectors and museums but he has a notable collection in his own right. (I had the great pleasure last summer of watching my four year-old grand niece play with various Thomas replicas on the floor of an apartment living room which also contains what is probably the most extensive private collection of sculpture by a certain Frenchman who was better known for his paintings.) He is also one of the few non-railfans I know who actually understands the connection between Claude Monet and the Pennsylvania Railroad!

We have discussed this phenomenon in terms of both art and railroadania, much of which can be considered art. There are really two types of theft. The first is economic, the thief makes or supplements his living by helping himself to other peoples property. In railfandom this is the guy who takes some diesel horns to sell to a trucker or grabs some signs or tools or what have you to peddle at flea markets or on E-Bay. This also includes the “scrappersâ€

Are items ever recovered? Yes.
A friend of mine was a victim many years ago of an incident in which a thief broke into his house and stole railraod memorabilia. The largest item that I recall was a headlight from a DL&W steam engine; I think it was a Pocono. He went through all the steps of reporting it to the local police in his municipality and some time later, the police recovered the headlight and returned it to him.

Dan Cupper
Harrisburg, Pa.

Would the numbers on either side of the slash be different if the loco had idler axles?

Will a (stolen) steam whistle sound the same on a truck's typical 90 to 120 p.s.i. compressed air supply? If not, is it practical to alter it so it will sound like steam when used on "truck air"?

When you see the "Turner" station sign for sale, check the back in case it's marked something like "Schraeder Reproductions"!

I, too, am willing to look out for stolen items if a "watch list" is published.

A few years back when the Roanoke Chapter NRHS restored it's Alco T-6. we gave some thought to marking the backs of the repro builder's plates "stolen from Roanoke Chapter, NRHS".

As I understand it, any trucker trying this will meet a quick demise as his air supply is almost instantly depleted and his brakes disappear.

It's POSSIBLE to blow a larger steam whistle on some truck air, but the necessary air tank for an adequate volume of compressed air (and it's enormous, mind you--150 psi times a 2" to 3" delivery pipe) would be about the size of the entire truck cab and engine compartment. And because of physical differences in the properties and densities of air vs. steam, it'll sound at the best different, at the worst quite sickly or pathetic.

Now, air HORNS are quite a different matter. There is adequate air in most big trucks to sound a big locomotive air horn at least for the short term, thought I might worry about a full 14-L crossing whistle on the Plains. Truck horns are designed to be almost as loud as locomotive horns while using air more efficiently--and unlike locomotives, trucks don't HAVE to blow horns regularly, leading to a less robust design (the difference between $400 and $4,000). Given that larger truck stores can sell a trucker a perfectly melodious air whistle that nicely mimics a steam whistle or train horn, the desire for a locomotive air horn among truckers is on par with the desire for loudest motorbike exhaust, most extravagantly chromed and painted Corvette, etc. among some males--they're obviously making up for perceived inadequacies between the belt and knees.

A few months ago, what was called an original builders plate from a PRR K4 was offered for sale on EBAY. As it turns out, it carried the serial number of our K4, 1361. As we are indeed missing one of the original plates, and have been for 50 years, I contacted the seller who said it had been hanging in his barn for as long as he could remember. As soon as I and a number of others contacted him about the authenticity, he quickly pulled it from auction saying it was a reproduction. As it does not bear the same scars as the one plate we have remaining, as a reproduction of it would, I have asked both EBAY and the PA State Police to look into the matter. After making a number of non-accusatory inquiries as to how he obtained the plate and the individual refusing to respond to my request to examine the plate, he promptly changed his email address. I'll let the State Police take it from here. It might take 50 years but, yes, sometimes you do get things back!

Latest theft
Railroadiana Stolen from PM 1223 Preservation Site in Grand Haven - On or about December 30-31, 2004 the storage boxcar was broken into at the Pere Marquette 1223 Preservation site in Grand Haven, Michigan. Two locomotive classification lights (used on Pere Marquette Berkshire #1223) and three Handlan #50 kerosene-burning caboose lamps used in the interior of Pere Marquette caboose #A986 were stolen. One or more of the caboose lamps are stamped ROCK ISLAND on the black metal frame, and the others are stamped some other railroad than Pere Marquette. These items were still in their original cardboard shipping cartons when stolen.

If you are offered any of the above items or have any information about this theft, you are urged to please contact the Grand Haven Public Safety Department at 1-616-842-3460. Refer to case #04-9481. You can provide an anonymous through the Silent Observer program at 616-842-1400. There is a reward for information that leads to recovery of the stolen items and apprehension of the perpetrator(s).