Eastern Railroad Discussion > Rider trespasser killed on NS west of Pittsburgh

Attached is an article about a rider killed on NS near Enon Valley, PA on the PRR/NS Ft. Wayne Line about MP PC44, 44 miles west of the Amtrak Pittsburgh station on the Capitol Ltd. route.

The article states he was an experienced rider, but sometimes the odds catch up to you. Stay off the rails! RIP.

https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/train-rider-killed-in-fall-on-little-beaver-tracks/article_ecdfb652-5133-5399-9f24-be51e3d91240.html

Posted from iPhone

I see the YouTube videos and wonder how often this happens?

Prominent hobos that post to YouTube have been killed in the past.

This guy does a professional job (as in video quality and presintation)in shooting his rides. But at the 8:00 mark you can see his shadow, standing, on top of a moving railcar. ........


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b8LJQhEKPrs

Was this guy known on YouTube for posting his adventures?

Posted from Android

That makes about as much sense as 'experienced cat burglar falls off ladder' and dies and we're supposed to feel sympathy.

The FRA is getting serious about nationally reporting all trespasser violations and it will suck everybody in, railfans included if they step on the ROW, just to prove the railroads are doing something about it.  He'll get counted as a 'trespasser fatality', that's all.

Your rent-a-cops will get commendations for dragging anybody in that can be interpreted as a trespasser just to justify their presence.   

The dramatic increase in homeless populations on railroad ROW and deliberate suicide by train, as well as the various idiots that walk down the center of the track with ear buds on and get run over, have really increased the count, but the reaction will include everybody - like catching dolphins in a tuna net.

 

Regarding the video, for sure the guy does nice work but standing on top of a moving freight train is just bound to go wrong eventually.

randgust Wrote:
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> That makes about as much sense as 'experienced cat burglar falls off ladder' and dies and we're supposed to feel sympathy.

I don't condone trespassing including riding non-passenger trains, but what was the trespasser stealing? A ride?
The cat burglar is committing a crime with a loss for the victim. The greatest loss for a railroad caused by a trespasser is an operational delay when there is an incident or self imposed delays and costs in policing to prevent trespassing. A bean counter might compare the cost of preventing trespassing vs the cost caused by trespassers and choose the cheapest choice. Just like the bean counters did with PTC for many years (cheaper to pay for accidents preventable by PTC than to install PTC - until the government mandated PTC).

There can also be sympathy for people who are in a situation that is not as good as our own. While there are thrill seekers who ride for fun then go back to their warm cozy homes and families there are many more who don't have a home to go to or a family that they feel comfortable being around. Some post on social media and that may be the only validation that they get of the value of their lives. Others are just anonymous souls drifting through the world. A sympathetic person might notice them as they pass by. A non-sympathetic person might see them as being clutter or the garbage of society.

So yes, some sympathy is appropriate for the human being killed and any family that knows they are gone. Some sympathy is appropriate for the train crews and EMS/police that have to deal with cleaning up such incidents. And some sympathy is appropriate for the people who see a trespasser and just want them to go away so they can just get home without needing to deal with an "incident".

I've seen some of those videos by a prolific "train hopper" and was surprised the railroads haven't raised hell with YouTube.

randgust Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That makes about as much sense as 'experienced cat
> burglar falls off ladder' and dies and we're
> supposed to feel sympathy.
>
> The FRA is getting serious about nationally
> reporting all trespasser violations and it will
> suck everybody in, railfans included if they step
> on the ROW, just to prove the railroads are doing
> something about it.  He'll get counted as a
> 'trespasser fatality', that's all.
>
> Your rent-a-cops will get commendations for
> dragging anybody in that can be interpreted as a
> trespasser just to justify their presence.   
>
> The dramatic increase in homeless populations on
> railroad ROW and deliberate suicide by train, as
> well as the various idiots that walk down the
> center of the track with ear buds on and get run
> over, have really increased the count, but the
> reaction will include everybody - like catching
> dolphins in a tuna net.
>
>  Thanks for the warning. I was unaware of the tougher attitude toward railfanning these days.
I experienced that intolerance toward railfans back in 2005 on UP's Sherman Hill .
Sad about the freight train rider who was killed. 

 Sad to hear that but he knew what he was doing. Stobe the Hobo was killed by a train in 2018 . I still watch his videos. I also like to watch Shoestring and Ran out on a Rail . I have no issue and enjoy watching their videos on YouTube. I don't get the people who want to tattle on their adventures. These guys always share the danger of what they do. I hope they keep it up and are not cancelled for it. I was born in Britt, Iowa which happens to be the home of the hundred plus year old Hobo Days held every August so I guess I am biased.