DATE; Saturday June 17, 2006 Early morning
Location; Fond Du Lac,Wi CN / WC South yard entrance at North Scott Street to Lakeview Drive and Highway 45 North
The Canadian National Railroad and the Fond Du Lac Police are looking for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for causing a derailment in the lead industrial track area of the Shops yard.There is a reward being offered .There was a small haz-mat leak that occured near the creek channel. if there are any people that know about this you are being asked to call 920-322-3725,and ask for Det. Steve Kaufman. I am STRONGLY urging every railfan who wants to take pix of the trains in this area to use caution and to 'Stay on public property". I would also advise to stay away from the Lakeshore Drive area as well.CN is not gonna be asking any questions as to what you are doing on the property.They WILL arrest you. So please be extremely cautious and play it safe.This is the ONLY warning that is being posted here in FDL beacuse of some stupid scum bag, who wants to cause trouble. Also there will be private citizens that live near the tracks that WILL be watching every move anyone makes near the tracks.
How can they arrest someone who’s on public property for merely being there? I drive through there infrequently and I’ll keep my eyes open.
people are to parniond these days thats all I have to say
One of my fav railfan spots…only 2 miles from my place.
Here’s my take…when WC consolidated the ex-CNW and ex-SOO yards, they made a big mistake. The curve switching from the SOO main to the CNW main is WAY too sharp. They had more than enough acreage to make an easier bend in the rails. With the increased traffic since the CN takeover, a derailment was bound to happen. There is a speed restriction entering the yard, so it could have been a “whiplash” effect, as it involved the final 4 or 5 cars of the freight.
As far as security…in almost 20+ years of railfanning this area, I’ve never once been hassled by any police–railroad or other. Just keep to private property, and don’t park in the Shop’s parking lot or near the yard office…yes, those people may kick you out, but won’t call the police. The NFDL police have better things to do than hassle railfans.
Also, Lakeshore Drive is currently being re-built through the yard, with plans for an eventual overpass of the yard, so it might be smart to avoid the Yard office area for now.
I’d agree with that ‘whiplash’ effect. That’s a sharp curve. I watched a WC engine switching there once. Engineer took that curve pretty fast I thought. The engine had a ~15 to 20 degree tilt!
There was a WPS coal train derailment about this time last year,that happened in the lead track of the industrial yard there…South of Lakeshore Drive.This recent one, was on the small bridges that cross the creek, (where some people fish fron highway 45) that flows through the yard. When I passed by this area on that Saturday, I saw the Hulcher crew rerailing a tank car. Then my curiosity got to me. I took some pix far away from the area on Van Dyne road. Reason being there was the FBI,FRA and CN crews all through that area,not to mention a haz-mat crew from ONYX. Needless to say I wouldnt take any chances on being in that part of the area or highway 45.And yes I agree with “Fasttrains”…people are paranoid. It just makes me very upset that “someone” did this and is really ruining the enjoyment of railfanning, and watching trains. Im just trying to let everyone know, as to what has been transpired, and I do not wish for somone to get into a fiasco with the “bigshots”. Its bad enough, that the FDL police call my home, and told me about this, and to report any type of suspicious activity in this area. ( I live 40 yards away from the main line on Scott Street )I just want everyone to enjoy trains like I do, and to PLEASE…BE CAREFUL!!!
So what is the evidence that says someone did this intentionally?
What gets to me about this story is that when I go up to the area to visit my reps I regularly see U.P. coal trains parked with no crews on them on the tracks immedietly next to Lake Street in Neenah, AND THE TRAINS ARE RUNNING! This is an open invitation to TROUBLE
What gets to me about this story is that when I go up to the area to visit my reps I regularly see U.P. coal trains parked with no crews on them on the tracks immedietly next to Lake Street in Neenah, AND THE TRAINS ARE RUNNING! This is an open invitation to TROUBLE. Why worry about a few railfans when they take these kind of risks up there?
Easier to throw a switch than to un-tie a locomotive.
I’m sure these locomotives have their reversers removed, no?
If I’m not mistaken that ‘yard’ has electronic surveilance. At least I think I saw some signs to that effect.
In Townsville, Where I used to live Queensland Rail Used to Park 60 Car Phosphate trains parked in a siding For a Crew change basically next to the main throroughfare in Townsville, and the Loco Was Running! No fences or anything.
James
I was up there Friday the 23rd, and sure enough, sitting on Byron hill was a unoccupied fully loaded coal train with the locomotives running. A disaster waiting to happen.
About being arrested for a misdemeanor, or…?
Guys, a locomotive is not like a car. Just because it is running does not mean that someone can get in and “drive” it. You need a reverser, which is removable, to operatate a locomotive. I am sure that these unmanned engines do not have the reverser on them.
Bert