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BNSF offers $100,000 for derailment information
I cant believe it
The nation’s railroads are playgrounds. Had this group of people had a camera they would have quickly been detained.
If BNSF had just waited, the individuals involved would have posted pictures of themselves pulling the pins and breaking the train on FB.
Uncoupling - not so hard. Knowing to close the angle cock on the cut of cars so it will run away? - That takes a little knowledge that someone like a disgruntled former employee would have. I trust that the railroad police are considering this possibility.
Sad.
Security should be #1 concern, starting with finding and prosecuting the graffiti “artists” Stopping the small crimes stops the bigger ones. The previous comment about the railroads being a playground is unfortunatly true to some extent.
There is still a considerable reward offered, to bring the perps to justice, that shot one of our occupied BNSF locos in Shelby, MT. On-board loco video caught them on camera. Contact BNSF, or the Toole County Sheriff’s Office at 406/434-5585.
I wonder why the inbound engineer didn’t make a full application on the train’s brakes after he stopped. That’s a rule on CSX. The run away portion would then had to have been bled off before it would have rolled away. I’ll bet from now on they’ll stretch the slack and then make a full application. (you can’t lift the cut lever with the slack stretched)
To properly test the slack, automatic brakes have to be release and most companies require only hand brakes to hold an unmanned train. Also all you have to do is close the angle cock, causing the air to bottle and brakes to release, not all that hard for somebody with a little knowledge of the air brake system. This was always a fear of mine considering we had a coupe yards fairly open to the public.