Hey csxengineer98, that’s a good one[(-D].Yeah I had mine gold plated.The fact the now former employee,is a former employee.is his own fault.I would never think of tresspassing while off duty.As for the $10,000.00 fine.That is the normal personal fine from the FRA for operating a loco without a FRA license,nothing to do with federal court.It would not suprise me that they could be given fines or jail time from the Patriot Act if the UP wanted to try for it.The former employee will be off until the next arbutrary meeting of the FRA,in which they meet twice a year.He more than likely will get his job back eventually.
And one of the dummies worked for UP, talk about grass-roots…
Oh yeah, they moved it 40 feet…didn’t know how to reset the alerter?
Either that, or forgot to turn the anglecock when they pulled the pin!
From Altamont Press:
Train incident spotlights security
Railroad officials commented Wednesday on a Nov11 incident in which two men allegedly climbed aboard a BNSF Railway Company locomotive and moved it 40 feet down the tracks.
“Moving a train is no laughing matter,” a Union Pacific spokesman said Wednesday. "It’s not just a prank.‘’
Mark Davis said that an unauthorized person who moves a train would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Davis is the regional public relations director for UP.
The incident in November near Thedford resulted in two North Platte men being charged with felony criminal mischief. The maximum punishment is five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Davis did not know if the locomotive involved was idling or turned off, but he said the engines are commonly left running if the temperatures will be below 40 degrees.
According to a spokesman from BNSF, it is not unusual for trains to be left idling, “especially in cold weather.”
Davis said diesel fuel can “gel up,” and water lines can freeze, damaging the locomotive.
“Newer locomotives have a sensor that will turn the engine on if the temperature drops below a set number,” he said.
Although he didn’t know what the particulars were in the Thomas County case, BNSF General Director of Public Relations Steve Forsberg said, “If a train is left idling and unoccupied, then the crew has measures it takes to prevent the train from being moved forward or backward.”
For security reasons, neither Davis nor Forsberg would describe what those measures are, but Forsberg said normally, the train could not be put into gear.
Davis also said that even before the terrorist attacks in 2001, the railroad industry was looking at ways to lock cabs, but not interfere with the crew’s ability to leave the train in an emergency.
"We want a device that will function safely, that will lock the door, bu
Ya know, for less than $100 (via an auction), I got to ride for 20 miles in the cab of a locomotive (albeit on a tourist line), had my hand on the throttle for more than 40 feet, and got to blow the whistle. And I’m not going to jail…
Thought they would call it “Grand Theft Locomotive”…lol
Don’t you just love how they won’t say what the precautions are?
The National Transportation Safety Board recently divulged they had covertly funded a project with the U.S. auto makers for the past five years, whereby the auto makers were installing black box voice recorders in four-wheel drive pickup trucks and SUV’s in an effort to determine, in fatal accidents, the circumstances in the last 15 seconds before the crash.
They were surprised to find in 44 of the 50 states the recorded last words of drivers in 61.2% of fatal crashes were, “Oh $hit!”
Only the states of Oklahoma, Tennessee, Lousiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas were different, where 89.3% of the final words were: “Hold my beer, I’m gonna try somethin.”
I guess we now have to add Nebraska to the list…