Eastern Railroad Discussion > Fire at NCTM 1/9/21

I didn't see any threads about this, so I thought I would make one. There was apparently arson at the Spencer museum on 1/9/21.  

By David Whisenant | January 9, 2021 at 8:52 AM EST - Updated January 10 at 8:28 AMSPENCER, N.C. (WBTV) - Firefighters from several departments responded to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer on Saturday morning after it was reported that several rail cars were on fire.The fire was reported just after 7:00 am. The burning cars were located on a series of tracks on the back side of the museum property. They appeared to be old and unrestored cars.The burning cars were located on a rail line that was between other lines, so firefighters had to bring hoses beneath rail cars that were parked on the other line. Firefighters had to crawl between and beneath rail cars to get to the burning cars.Fire officials on scene pointed out that this is the third suspicious fire in the last three days. On Thursday morning, several cars at an auto repair shop near the Transportation Museum on S. Salisbury Avenue were burned. On that same morning, the law firm of Whitley, Jordan, and Inge, located on S. Main Street in Salisbury, was gutted by fire.Investigators have said that someone did set the fires at the repair shop and the law firm.Rowan County Fire Division Chief Deborah Horne said that a joint investigation is currently underway. The State Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the state fire marshal’s office and the Spencer and Salisbury Police are all involved in the investigation.Anyone who has any information regarding these fires is asked to contact Spencer Police Detective Sergeant M. File at (704) 633-3574, Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers by internet at =AT0d5sfeH1i2gyQlgm0cuY0i8Eoipa3WS-WV_vykG4YrDkp3raOMFC7vuD-h2u59WzPw_Iz70nbDjm37g8unrWtLa841zCxmw8UPYHjzmIOSwnw5k8_u5Uc61XcWYKZPvR2AtpAizYEFNyxIAF56pf4pJoW4CAdQQA18yYXxBaliE4qVy45CMqTwE4EKgUS8kdKQ7efFHBmrpEchlXWMqEg]tips.salisburyrowancrimestoppers.org or by calling 1-866-639-5245, or by private message to the Spencer Police Department.Copyright 2021 WBTV. All rights reserved.


https://www.wbtv.com/2021/01/09/rail-cars-found-burning-north-carolina-transportation-museum-spencer/

https://salisburypost.com/2021/01/09/investigation-underway-after-several-train-cars-involved-in-fire-at-n-c-transportation-museum/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/21 17:24 by SantaFeCF7.

This is sad news. Hope they find who ever is responsible for the fires. I know the museum takes pride in their rail cars even if they have not be restored yet. 
Robert in Lagrande Oregon 

 There now a good reason to seperate the cars by 20 feet apart when put in storage on several track so firefighter or even a guard with a dog can roam around the cars and inspect for trespassers.

Any info as to what was involved and what kind of damage there was?

Posted from Android

P Wrote:
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> Any info as to what was involved and what kind of
> damage there was?
>
> Posted from Android

This has been the only other info I have seen so far. They haven't mentioned it on their Facebook page either. 

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45169&sid=352d361482214b1d9062d94cbce47007