Western Railroad Discussion > Terror charges for BNSF Bellingham Sub shunting incidents

Apparently, two women are responsible for 41 shunts this year on the Bellingham Sub that caused wayside and crossing signal malfunctions, and in one case, triggered a PTC penalty brake application that led to a break-in-two.

No comment about the alleged motive, other than to say there are better ways to show solidarity than causing dangerous situations on rail lines.

https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/crime/article247516325.html

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/pair-charged-interfering-safety-railroad-tracks

Punishable by up to 20 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.  I hope they get the maximum sentence.

Just keep doing it until you get caught.

Bob

Sadly, I doubt that if they had accomplished their goal of wrecking a train, it would have had any effect on the Canadian pipeline construction. Not only were their actions dangerous, illegal, etc. but they were stupid.
Bill Pyper
Lacey, WA
 

Wish news articles would not give detailed instructions for copycats

It's not mentioned in the article but probably not trying to 'wreck' the train, more likely making some sort of statement about the Oil and Coal trains in the area. Sometimes it's thought that if the train sits at grade crossings that drivers will become more aware of the commodities, or more negative towards trains in general. Seems to happen in the PNW occasionally, the Gorge had stuff like this going on for a while, seems like a stretch but that's often the connection.

Not sure what the drill was all about, not like a Makita is going to drill through rail.

TCnR Wrote:
> Not sure what the drill was all about, not like a
> Makita is going to drill through rail.

Read that the drill had a wire brush that they used to make for better contact with the wire.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

TCnR Wrote:
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>
> Not sure what the drill was all about, not like a
> Makita is going to drill through rail.

Maybe a wire brush to remove to rust from the rail? 

Southern-Pacific-fan Wrote:
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> Wish news articles would not give detailed
> instructions for copycats

The internet is full of readily found instructions.  Besides, do idiots like that read a newspaper?  It seems unlikely.

phthithu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TCnR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > Not sure what the drill was all about, not like
> a
> > Makita is going to drill through rail.
>
> Maybe a wire brush to remove to rust from the
> rail? 

Remove rust from the rail so that the magnets would get a solid grip.
 

Too bad hard labor has been abolished in the prison system, those license plates would look better on polished steel.

Out 

callum_out Wrote:
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> Too bad hard labor has been abolished in the
> prison system, those license plates would look
> better on polished steel.
>
> Out 

The "chain gang" might give gangster culture folks something to think about.

Posted from Android

wjpyper Wrote:
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> but they were
     Industrial Strength
> stupid.

TAW

 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> callum_out Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Too bad hard labor has been abolished in the
> > prison system, those license plates would look
> > better on polished steel.
> >
> > Out 
>
> The "chain gang" might give gangster culture folks
> something to think about.
>
> Posted from Android

Didn't seem to work in Maricopa County, Arizona. People were still committing the same old crimes.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>Seems to happen in the PNW occasionally, the Gorge had
> stuff like this going on for a while, seems like a
> stretch but that's often the connection.

Not the first time something like this has allegedly happened. In early 2017, an anarchist group claimed to have shunted the BNSF Seattle Subdivision in protest of oil trains, and in April of that year, another group claimed to have dumped concrete on the tracks of the Olympia and Belmore in protest of fracking equipment being unloaded at the Port of Olympia. No confirmation as to whether those incidents actually occured, however.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/20 16:36 by OrionRail.

It's Washington, they will end up doing 6 months on the road striping gang.

SP4360 Wrote:
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> It's Washington, they will end up doing 6 months
> on the road striping gang.

Federal crime so Federal time. They won't be going to a state prison.

You're correct, but I doubt they don't get anywhere near the "up to" time limit.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SP4360 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's Washington, they will end up doing 6
> months
> > on the road striping gang.
>
> Federal crime so Federal time. They won't be going
> to a state prison.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > callum_out Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Too bad hard labor has been abolished in the
> > > prison system, those license plates would
> look
> > > better on polished steel.
> > >
> > > Out 
> >
> > The "chain gang" might give gangster culture
> folks
> > something to think about.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Didn't seem to work in Maricopa County, Arizona.
> People were still committing the same old crimes.
Well some places like Seattle and Portland are going to fix the problem its the cops they are not needed. Now there is going to be mental health people going out when people are having conflicts or domestic problems. Un armed and with the idea just talking to them will take care of there problems.  Am so sure it will work defund the cops and put every thing into the homeless and mental health also places for the homeless to live. Oh yes am glad that where I live we have cops and most  people here are armed.  Klamath County Oregon.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SP4360 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's Washington, they will end up doing 6
> months
> > on the road striping gang.
>
> Federal crime so Federal time. They won't be going
> to a state prison.

It's also a Washington state crime (we used to joke in the dispatchers office about being charged with the state crime of interfering with the movement of a train), so they might do both.

TAW