European Railroad Discussion > Copper Thieves in Germany

While riding around germany on several occasions we would come to an abrupt stop at a station and move no further.
Finally the word got out that copper thieves were at work again. No not the overhead catenary but the copper cables 
that affected the signalling system. There was a period of time where this was not uncommon.
I guess all railways have experienced this.
Was your copper robbed?

interstates loose there messanging cable, raton line loses it's signals due to lineside wire thefts

They love to steel copper pipe and wire from abandoned homes over here and 
occasionally there are floods from broken/ripped out copper piping in homes.

I'm aware of two situations in Newark NJ where copper thieves mistook a live power line for a low powered signal line.

Did not end well.

Posted from Android

Signalling cable theft is an everyday occurrence in the UK. Supposedly of little value, it continues. Chris uk.

There are two levels of evil here, the poor miserable field thieves and the "respectable businesses" of scrap dealers who purchase obviously stolen goods.
Guess which level contributes to election campaigns and calls in favors if the heat is on.
A widespread problem in the US but I did not know it was international in scope.

railstiesballast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are two levels of evil here, the poor
> miserable field thieves and the "respectable
> businesses" of scrap dealers who purchase
> obviously stolen goods.
> Guess which level contributes to election
> campaigns and calls in favors if the heat is on.
> A widespread problem in the US but I did not know
> it was international in scope.

Greed knows no bounderies...

railstiesballast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are two levels of evil here, the poor
> miserable field thieves and the "respectable
> businesses" of scrap dealers who purchase
> obviously stolen goods.
> Guess which level contributes to election
> campaigns and calls in favors if the heat is on.
> A widespread problem in the US but I did not know
> it was international in scope.

In South Africa, there has been cable and catenary theft for a long time. Now it's that plus rails, ties, and structures (steel cut up on the spot and hauled away).

Not that rail theft is entirely new. Two dispatcher districts I was sitting in on had trains derail because the railroad was gone.

TAW