Eastern Railroad Discussion > Several charges laid against rail fan

This is a little on the unsettling side, for more reasons than one!!!

Would be interested in hearing more people's thoughts on this...

'Spatcher out!




>Mike O'Brien (Regina Leader-Post 010510)
>
>A Regina man is accused of moving from trainspotting to trainstopping.
>
>Trevor Coward, who was acquitted two years ago of trespassing on CN Rail
>property, is now accused of trespassing, mischief and possession of
property
>stolen from the same rail line.
>
>The 22-year-old male made his first appearance on the possession charge
in
>Provincial court Wednesday. The matter was adjourned to May 23. He was
>already scheduled to return to court later this week on the mischief and
>trespassing charges.
>
>Outside court, Coward appeared angry that police and CN officials seized
>items from his collection of railway paraphernalia that he has amassed
since
>he was a boy.
>
>``They took my railway signs, a scanner and timetables, anything that
was
>railway-related.''
>
>Jim Feeny, CN's director of public affairs for the prairie region, said
>Coward was initially charged with trespassing and mischief under the
Railway
>Safety Act for trespassing on to the CN yard in north Regina on March
24.
>
>Based on the conversation between Coward and the CN police officer at
that
>time, CN obtained a search warrant and searched Coward's home.
>
>The search was carried out on April 3, the same date that Coward is
accused
>of being in possession of ``railway equipment, property of Canadian
National
>Railway,'' according to a public court file.
>
>Coward does not deny that he was at the rail yard, but is upset by the
>mischief charge and the accusation that he actually pulled the pin
between
>two cars, causing them to separate.
>
>``Why would I do that. That's totally rubbish. Someone who's been a rail
fan
>for 22 years is going to derail them? Give me a break!''
>
>Coward was released from custody on the condition that he keep at least
50
>yards from any railway property or equipment and not talk to any rail
>employees while they are working.
>
>``We have a zero-tolerance policy to anyone trespassing on our
property,''
>Feeny said. ``You have a lot of heavy, moving equipment. It isn't a safe
>environment if you're not trained to operate in it.''
>

We may not be operating with all the facts here, but it does sound like this guy is a theif and perhaps more. I have no sympathy for him. I say let the court system handle him how they will.

Meanwhile, the other 99.99% of us will bear the brunt of the railroad's ever-increasing animosity against us because of freaks like him.


Joe H.
Chester, SC

I have actually had a few run-ins with this guy before, about a year or so ago, and it doesn't surprise me one bit. Sounds like he deserves it.

FE

We had a similar incident here in the Atlanta area very recently. A "buff" was caught breaking into the yard office at Cartersville, GA. When caught he had 5 engine radios in his truck. It was not his first time doing this since CSX had the place staked out when they caught him.

No wonder at all they don't want us around.

The only way the RR is going to even let you go about your business is if you are just standing there with a camera. Its quite a simple rule to follow: walk, take your shots, cause no harm, then leave. They will not bother you.

Rob, also they should give fans who have stolen things a card that says they have done this and if they do it again, they lose the card and get convicted.


ST214
GRS District 3
MBTA Fitchburg Line

SLR62 wrote:
>
> The only way the RR is going to even let you go about your
> business is if you are just standing there with a camera. Its
> quite a simple rule to follow: walk, take your shots, cause no
> harm, then leave. They will not bother you.


And don't do it standing on their property either.