Western Railroad Discussion > SP in a later life!

Here’s one for you SP fans! I caught this little portrait in Salina, KS yesterday. With a bit of help from the Master Artist….

1. KYLE tunnel motor 9345 still in SP paint sits with companion tunnel motor 4074 at sunset on February 16, 2017 in Salina, KS.

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

---

Very nice. I sure do miss the tunnel motors...

Jan Austin
Chico, CA
J.G. Austin Photography

Are they finding it necessary to protect there air conditioning units from theft?

wigwag Wrote: > ...... necessary to protect there air conditioning units ...

I was wondering about the wire basket looking cover myself. Its shape kinda-sorta reminds me of the old Krauss Maffei engines...

Lance/199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/17 10:09 by santafe199.

Yes, they are a high theft item. The metal thieves love them.

I think it's funny that some railroads encase their horns in a metal cage to keep them from being stolen but here it's the air conditioners caged to prevent theft while the horns are in the open with no cage (I'll bet they have done something to the bolts to keep them from being removed).
 

When I worked at the Vwentura county Railway years ago, we had a big problem with truckers stealing the horns as thewre was an icing platform right next to the engine house. About once a week a horn would turn up missing, there would be tennis shoe prints on the hood and the bolts would be laying there. We first tried using flat head socket bolts and filling in the hole with JB weld, that stopped it for 2 weeks. then once again  a horn would turn up MIA and the JB weld chunks were laying there. Nect we tried Allen key bolts, that last a couple of weeks. Next it was welding a strap to the bolt heads. This led to the bells being taken and the mount left behind. The pattern of theft was watched and finally a trucker was caught removing the bells and was arrested. A check of records from the icing company revealled ithe same guy was being iced the night before each horn turned up missing. Coincidence?

Railbaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think it's funny that some railroads encase
> their horns in a metal cage to keep them from
> being stolen but here it's the air conditioners
> caged to prevent theft while the horns are in the
> open with no cage (I'll bet they have done
> something to the bolts to keep them from being
> removed).
>  

OutStanding

Posted from iPhone

That is so 'there' air conditioner stays 'hear ' . Their's plenty of reason for that wire basket.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/17 12:31 by dcfbalcoS1.

Thanks, Lance, for teh nice photos of those great 
ex-SP tunnel motors.  They belong back on Donner!!
(Just wishing.....)

Re: horn and A/C thefts:
Every single one of these thefts would be easily stopped overnight IF the following were done:

1. Shut down all metal-recycling centers.
2. Replace them all with federal government-owned and operated metal recycliong centers,
staffed by plenty of well-paid people who have had their backgrouinds thoroughly checked out
before being hired.
3.  Everything being recycled must be inspected before being left at the recycling center.
4.  Three forms of ID must be presenrted at the recycling center before payment will be authorized.
5.  All payments will be by check mailed 12 months later to a street address.
6.  NO exceptions to any of the above -- none.

THAT would astop all metal thefts overnight.  

I do not know why any metal-recycoling centers are allowed to operate.  They are criminals, too,
because they continually and knowingly accept obviously stolen goods.  No place to sell the stolen
metal items = all thedfts will stop.  And there are not going to be any "black-market" places to sll
stolen metal, such as locomotive horns and air-conditione r units, or large coils of high-voltage wire,
because what is being stolen and sold is almost always much too big to hide easily, and no one is
ever going to do for these kinds of stolen metal goods what is now stupidly allowed to be done --
rent space for rtwo days in a hotel, and advertise they are buying gold and silver items, and coins,
and small valuables.  

And please, folks -- no more tape recorded anti-government posts.  You guys who believet
that every single government entity is completely incompetent are wrong.  My idea is the 
only way to stop these thefts, and it will work vwery well.  This needs to be done ASAP.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/17 13:19 by Margaret_SP_fan.

> guys who believe that every single government entity is completely
> incompetent are wrong.

Yes it's wrong to claim *every* last one is incompetent. But ahem, they are common. OTOH some try really hard.

Having said that, it wouldn't hurt to put up motion activated cameras or hire a security officer.

Having said that, unlike other large "fallen flags", the SP will actively be with us for a long time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/17 15:47 by loopy7764.

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I do not know why any metal-recycoling centers are
> allowed to operate.  They are criminals, too,
> because they continually and knowingly accept
> obviously stolen goods.

Stereotype much?

Nomad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > I do not know why any metal-recycoling centers
> are
> > allowed to operate.  They are criminals, too,
> > because they continually and knowingly accept
> > obviously stolen goods.
>
> Stereotype much?

How is this any different than saying all government agencies are incompetent?

There is no reason for the metal recycling centers to be government owned. Have them require identification. Law enforcement also says that delayed payment will also reduce the theft rate since many metal thieves are looking for money fast.

Nomad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > I do not know why any metal-recycoling centers
> are
> > allowed to operate.  They are criminals, too,
> > because they continually and knowingly accept
> > obviously stolen goods.
>
> Stereotype much?

No.  Just a very sad fact.  They never ever inspect any of the
metal items anyone brings in to them -- knowing that a lot of
metal items they accept for recycling are stolen.  All they do is
weigh the vehicle before and afer the metal is unloaded, and
pay the person for the value of the difference.  NOT inspecting
EVERYTHING they buy when they know their recycling centers
are the noly places those thieves can get money for stolen goods
makes those recycling center operators and owmers criminals, too.
Wouldn't they be considered legally to be "accessories afer the 
fact", and chargeable -- because they have a legal responsibility
to refuse to buy stolen goods?  And if they had the deceny to
inspect all items before even acceopting them, they would -- or 
should! -- never, ever accept and and pay for -- for example -- huge
coils of heavy-gauge high- voltage wire which had obviously been 
stolen, or -- another example -- metal statues from churches or
graves -- or railroad track..

Look -- these re all examples of things that have been stolen
and were successfully sold to metal recyclers who asked no
questions and willingly paid the thief or thieves for their stolen 
goods.  

The only way to stop these metal thefts is for the federal 
government to do what I said should be done -- run all the
metal recycling centers, and do it in the way I say it should
be done.  The people wbo would work in such recycling centers
must be well-paid so they won't be tempted to be bribed, and
have thorough background checks, so the center will not be
hiring thieves,  And making all buyers wait 12 months to get 
paid would remove any reason for anyone to try to sell stolen
metal goods because they would have to wai too lonmg to get
paid for their criminal acts.  This 12-month waiting period would 
put an immidiate stop to druggies and meth-heads and the like 
stealing anything metal because they would have to wait too long
to get money to pay for their next hit of drugs.  And requiring all
metal to be inspected by honest p[eople would completely prevent
any obviously stolen metal itens -- such as the locomotive air horns
and air-conditioners that were written about in this thread --  
from being stolen. 

If thieves cannot easily find buyers for their stolen goods, they will stop
stealing them.  

And the US federal government is the only amd proper government
entity that could easily do this.

To everyone who does not think my idea will actually work --
What, exacrtly, do you think will be a practical way to stop 
all these metal thefts literally overnight?  Got any better ideas?

I aawait your replies.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/17 01:58 by Margaret_SP_fan.

Great shot of a Great locomotive!

Get them while you can, G&W is going on a major repainting blitz this year.