Western Railroad Discussion > Engines vandalized at Barstow CA museum

I saw a post on Facebook “Ahead Of The Torch” page that the Santa Fe Beep, FP45, and UP SD40 have been vandalized with graffiti and the FP45 had a picture posted with at least one window shattered.

Posted from iPhone

No surprise. Equipment out in the open, unprotected. I was told copper theives struck the engines in the past.
Would like to see the beep moved to a different venue.

Posted from Android

Good thing I took pics of them on a very late no. 3 back in 16, who knows how long it'll take to fix that crap those jerks put on them!

Posted from Android

They've been vandalized before. They're out in the open and since they're on railroad property the San Bernardino County Sheriff doesn't really pay attention to them.
You would think the museum would at least put a fence around them.

Has vandalism been a problem at the museum in the past?

I seem to remember they are near a McDonalds!!!

I assume the BNSF police couldn't care less about the Museum equipment

Trainman41 Wrote:
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> I assume the BNSF police couldn't care less about
> the Museum equipment

i doubt that they don't care but they probably have a very large area to cover and I'm sure it's not there first priority. 

Trainman41 Wrote:
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> I assume the BNSF police couldn't care less about
> the Museum equipment

Pretty pathetic statement to make.

Are you expecting BNSF to take responsibility for protecting all private vehicles that happen to be on company property no matter where?
Are you expecting BNSF to have railroad police posted there 24/7?
Are you expecting BNSF to have cameras covering every foot of their property with monitoring or alerts 24/7?
Are you expecting BNSF to have 20' high security fences with razor wire on top preventing access to BNSF property where ever it maybe?

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Has vandalism been a problem at the museum in the
> past?

Yes, the meth head metal thieves stole most of the traction motor cables from the units on display a few years ago.
This wasn't the first time they've been hit.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Trainman41 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I assume the BNSF police couldn't care less
> about
> > the Museum equipment
>
> Pretty pathetic statement to make.
>
> Are you expecting BNSF to take responsibility for
> protecting all private vehicles that happen to be
> on company property no matter where?
> Are you expecting BNSF to have railroad police
> posted there 24/7?
> Are you expecting BNSF to have cameras covering
> every foot of their property with monitoring or
> alerts 24/7?
> Are you expecting BNSF to have 20' high security
> fences with razor wire on top preventing access to
> BNSF property where ever it maybe?


That would be a good start actually...

Can anyone think of an instance where there is a display of obsolete railway equipment with open access to the general public located on railroad company property? I can't.
I'd be willing to bet that if you checked with the BNSF they would tell you that the lot where the museum has their display was included in the sale of the Harvey House by the Santa Fe to the City of Barstow in 1990.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/21 16:29 by Chico43.

Chico43 Wrote:
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> Can anyone think of an instance where there is a
> display of obsolete railway equipment with open
> access to the general public located on railroad
> company property?

Per this the thread below, Canadian Pacific 4-4-0 #29 and FP7A #1400 are on display at CPR's headquarters complex in Calgary, AB.  Presumably this is publicly accessible, but I am not 100% sure.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?15,4888586
 

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Trainman41 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I assume the BNSF police couldn't care less
> about
> > the Museum equipment
>
> Pretty pathetic statement to make.
>
> Are you expecting BNSF to take responsibility for
> protecting all private vehicles that happen to be
> on company property no matter where?
> Are you expecting BNSF to have railroad police
> posted there 24/7?
> Are you expecting BNSF to have cameras covering
> every foot of their property with monitoring or
> alerts 24/7?
> Are you expecting BNSF to have 20' high security
> fences with razor wire on top preventing access to
> BNSF property where ever it maybe?

No but I damn sure expect them to do there JOBS and protecting and looking after railroad property is ONE of them weather it's museum equipment or a brand new locomotive!!!!!!

TomPlatten Wrote:

> I seem to remember they are near a McDonalds!!!

They aren't.  The Barstow depot and museum isn't really near much of anything else the general public frequents in Barstow, which is part of the problem.  It is near a street with the somewhat omnious name of Crooks Ave., however...

Txtrainman60 Wrote:
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>I damn sure expect them to do there JOBS
> and protecting and looking after railroad property
> is ONE of them weather it's museum equipment or a
> brand new locomotive!!!!!!

In the eyes of the Company, those locomotives in Barstow are a liability. Better the company agents prevent UPS trailers from being pilfered than sitting a parked car all night eyeballing obsolete equipment.

It doesn't surprise me that the engines were vandalized at the Barstow CA Museum, given the fact, that Barstow is one of those desert communities that is struggling. The crime rate is pretty high there. The museum is off the beaten path. The McDonald's in the Barstow Station Service area is along 66 just off of the 15.

A few years ago, the museum had cameras installed to monitor the displays.  I don't know if they are still functional as I no longer have any positions
with the museum.

Norm

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

fine them put them in jail

tom

get rent a cop to watch them