Eastern Railroad Discussion > Something Missing ..... 29 January 2023

Sunday, CSX empty hopper train E781-28 arrived in Cumberland, MD and set out two foreign road visitors. KCS #4196 and BNSF #8520

The both of the units had their horns stolen earlier in the week near Avalon, MD while powering a Ethanol unit train to Curtis Bay / Baltimore.

1) At Mexico Farms, the units where set over to the "PPG lead" for a yard crew to move them later.

2) KCS unit horn mounting.

3) BNSF unit horn mounting.

Tim W.

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Pretty gutsy move to steal horns off active locomotives!

Dan

Posted from iPhone

I am well aware of the Avalon area on the "Old Main Line" only a few miles east of Ellicott City.  It is located though in Patapsco State Park where so many people venture, thus any rotten thieves could trespass onto the railroad property where they park some trains on a passing track, and sometimes there are no crew members there with these trains.  It must be very easy for someone to jump onto a locomotive and remove these horns.  However whenever I have been in that area, there have been railroad personnel and railroad police.  I have never had any problems being by those tracks as I do not trespass onto the tracks and with my official CSX hat and CSX officer's pin, these railroad people think that I work for the railroad, which of course I do not.  But over the years I have known many CSX employees from top management down to some train personnel.
John in White Marsh, Maryland 

How does an engineer determine the horns are missing? Do they visually look or it?   Do engineers blow a horn when going on duty?   A couple short toots when first departing would seem natural, but is it required?   So you approach the first crossing and nothing.  Of course most trains parked for crew change are parked near crossing for crew van access.

BNSFS: WHAT?! WE CAN'T PEEEEPP! YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING!

NICK

Tominde Wrote:  "How does an engineer determine the horns are missing?"

The incident that I know was relayed to me by a now retired UP engineer.  He was put on a southbound train in the yard Smithville, TX, and when he was ready to pull forward he pushed the horn button and heard of only a rush of air.  There were two or three locomotives on the train and a visual inspection determined the horns on both/all units were missing.  That train went nowhere until a horn was brought from San Antonio, if I remember correctly (either that or another locomotive was eventually brought to the train).

Matthew

I wonder if the RR can use the engine camera's to catch the perps. I know the trainmasters and road foremen I had to deal with would always download
those videos trying to catch an employee breaking one rule or another as they went about their business in the yard while the engines were parked. Maybe
they can do something useful this time.