Western Railroad Discussion > Partial shots of Top Secret Scrap Yard

Hey All, Well we had a very interesting run-in with an individual who, well we don't know who he was. We had to go Pueblo Co today and as usual we went by our usual spots to see what was running today. Over at Pueblo Jct we came across the BNSF Hill Cut, that runs at least 1x daily from the BNSF Pueblo Yard south to the Evraz Steel Mill. We got a so-so shot at the Jct and Ben. ns2557, said we could get another shot down near Salt Creek Jct off of US 50 Business/Northern Ave in town. So off we went. We actually made it to where we were going in plenty of time and with not alot of trafic and plenty of room on shoulder to sit for a few minutes we waited. As the train approached we fired off a few shots of BNSF 6624/7057 on the head end of this Hill Cut version. After getting our shots and thinking nothing more of it, we proceeded to head for home in Canon City as there wasn't really anything else around that we could shoot. As we left Ben noticed a Gray Colored SUV type vehicle approaching us from the rear rather fast. As he was watching what this individual was up to and not seeing any visible signs of any type Law Enforcement, we proceeded back twds town. On the way, he wanted to check on a particular shot he had in mind for a future visit, so we made an exit off of the highway into a small dirt lot. Seeing that the road he wanted to go to was behind a locked gate, we headed back out. Low and behold the individual in said SUV followed us into the lot and proceeded to sorta block our way out. Mind you, all this was on Public Property or just a small lot not posted, locked behind a gate or fence off the highway where we did nothing but basically a U-Turn. Ben, as we were headed out rolled his window down and asked the gent if there was a problem we could help him with. His response was "Why are you taking picture's of the scrap yard?" We stated what we were doing and he proceeded to grill us somemore on our purpose where we were shooting the 2 shots you see here. Ben then stated to the gent that we were on a Public Right of Way and had all the right to take whatever shots we so desired regardless of his, more or less insinuation that we were up to no good. After we made that statement and Ben told him to have a nice day, he got a very digusted look on his face and didn't say anything else. It got us to wondering what he was trying to hide at the scrap yard. This gent had to get in his vehicle, get on the road and follow us til he managed to block our exit. So with out further adeiu, I give you the shots that show, on the right of the shots's, the New Super Secret, You can't take pictures of, Scrap Yard.  We are both still chuckling about it.  Hope you all have or had a great day, we had an interesting one.  Do take care and be well.  The shots show BNSF 6624 after crossing the bridge over the Arkansas River on Pueblo's south side.  Be well, Kristie

---

---

The business ethics of scrap yards starts at a low plane and slopes down from there.
Maybe he had just paid cash for some metals he knew were hot and did not want photos before he cut them up and shipped them off.
Countless purchases of copper, steel, and brass by these guys has resulted in the sad history of ruined copper wiring in locomotives, ruined journals in old freight cars. and expensive replacements needed for track materials removed by thieves.  They would not steal it unless they could turn it in to cash at (his) yard.
Curse him and the gray SUV he rode in on.

I do hope you got pictures of him and his vehicle.

Nice fence. Something behind it someone values. Probably just local security overstepping their bounds. If it were serious problem the response would have been different.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do hope you got pictures of him and his vehicle.

 Like the RR's we have an in cab camera that takes shots out the front window. He is def on it.  Kristie

railstiesballast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The business ethics of scrap yards starts at a low
> plane and slopes down from there.
> Maybe he had just paid cash for some metals he
> knew were hot and did not want photos before he
> cut them up and shipped them off.
> Countless purchases of copper, steel, and brass by
> these guys has resulted in the sad of
> ruined copper wiring in locomotives, ruined
> journals in old freight cars. and expensive
> replacements needed for track materials removed by
> thieves.  They would not steal it unless they
> could turn it in to cash at (his) yard.
> Curse him and the gray SUV he rode in on.

R T B is spot on!  Because of the low life ethical standards of a certain , OR scrap yard buying copper wire and journal brasses the former GN NW-5 #187 was scrapped rather than restored due to damage by the the scrap thieves. Former Chehalis Western C-415 #684 met the same fate but at least the empty shell is stuffed and mounted in Fife, WA.

Dick Samuels
O P R



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/20 21:48 by EMDSW-1.

Same thing happened to me over looking the Coors brewery in Golden, CO from a public road. 

But on the flip side Scrap Disposal in Salt Lake called the police on every suspicious lot that came in their yard, broke
up some decent sized groups.

Out 

That scrap pile is what's left of the Schnabel car load from San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant.  Not s'posed to see that!

mapboy

Actually Mr. nice guy violated the law when he blocked your vehicle. It's a form of false imprisonment. Not sure what the wording is in Colorado law. He was illegally detaining you. 

BB

And, you are still a sinner too. wag216



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/20 07:56 by wag216.

That looks like a really tidy scrap yard.

Posted from Android

wag216 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And, you are still a sinner tool! wag216

Who and what are you refferring to???????? , Ben

That scrap yard looks like it was set up a week ago. The dirt around the pile is way too clean to have been in operation for long and the fence looks brand new. I wonder if they are extra paranoid of people trying to photograph evidence to try to shut them down (for legitimate or otherwise reasons)? Most scrap yards do end up with an environmental challenge at some point given the nature of what they do and the high costs of doing it correctly.

Just plain old paranoia.  Some people have it worse than others and they're not all in the scrap business.  This place obviously has nothing to hide.

Andy

Yes it does, there's an AC12 back there that they are just waiting to cut up!

Out 

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes it does, there's an AC12 back there that they
> are just waiting to cut up!
>
> Out 

Also an NYC Hudson

Posted from iPhone

As someone who works in the land use regulation business I would guess he is mindful of people or local authorities trying to shut him down.  Communities get quite upset when a junkyard opens for business without obtaining entitlements.  Probably thought you were someone snooping around to turn him in.  He may already have had complaints made and he wants to know who it is. In Southern California dirt moving is our junkyard as huge volumes of dirt are being dumped in North Los Angeles County.  Areas near railroads are often the target because they are remote, and their is access.  Anyone visited Capra Road at the entrance to Soledad Canyon next to Metrolink lately?  The area is almost unidentifiable these days with a mountain of dirt dumped. If a railfan showed up there with a camera you might meet the barrel of a shotgun if you are not careful.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

webmaster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  Anyone visited Capra Road at the
> entrance to Soledad Canyon next to Metrolink
> lately?  The area is almost unidentifiable these
> days with a mountain of dirt dumped. If a railfan
> showed up there with a camera you might meet the
> barrel of a shotgun if you are not careful.

Did via Google aerial and street view. Street view goes up to the gate at the end of the road. It looks like there might as well be a sign there "Beyond this pointe thar be dragonnes."

TAW