While not as interesting as the personal experience related by Leo, an
important perspective from the "other side"...
I haven't heard of anyone doing this since the late '70's... In one area
(in NJ, not Q/BN), we (the signal guys) were given RR seals by RR police and
took to sealing some of these where they knew this was being done - Seals
were recorded and checked pretty regularly.
This "stealing" comes under "tampering" and "vandalism", and isn't a company
rule, it's federal, with heavy fines. Today - it is 100% certain you will
get canned, minimum.
The use of the bar works where an unlock track circuit is present (typically
70 ft from the points on the main) - and someone possibly won't get fired
for doing this one. At least this method is not "tampering" - and I know
that this gets done still...
Gabe (a signal guy)
----- Original Message -----
From: <qutlx1@a...>
To: <brhslist@egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 9:24 PM
Subject: [BRHSlist] Stealing the unlock
> Thanks Russ and Gabe as you guys are close and really know in principle to
> what I refer. Karl was never convicted because he just watched.
> Stealing the unlock on the Q/BN specifically (at least on the Chgo/Aurora
> Div) referred to the following practice;done many times a day at
> Rochelle,Il.While sitting in the siding or adjacent main you are advise
that
> when # so and so passes you can enter the main or x/o.You innocently ask
for
> the engine number or is that the guy about to go by now? Once your
"sure"(and
> thats the part Russ refers to) you do the following. As the lead unit or
2
> passes over the switch you need; you unlock the back of the electric lock
and
> also open the front as you normally would. By opening the back (using the
> edge of your switch key or the standard socket wrench carried on the end
of
> your key ring overriding the signal depts best efforts to keep you out.
You
> punch the big bulls eye on the back while reaching over the electric
unlock
> box on the front and flip the handle releasing the lock so you can throw
the
> switch. Now keep in mind you are literally stooping over a box w/in the
reach
> of anything hanging off the cars(lumber,shifted load,straps or banding
that
> has broken loose,etc.Anything hanging off the cars will cut you deeply or
if
> the guy goes on the ground your dead. So why are you putting life and limb
at
> risk? Not to mention that if caught your job insurance will get well
> exercised. By stealing the unlock you save between 5 and 10 minutes
waiting
> for the guy to leave the block and the time to run down so the Ds or
operator
> can reverse the current of traffic for you to "open up".Now if you didn't
get
> the job done by the time the third unit hits the switch you couldn't throw
> the mechanism. So you would act casual like you had nothing on your mind
and
> just happened to be standing near the switch and as soon as the cab of the
> lead unit hit the points you jumped to it. Yes, once you had defeated the
> electric lock you could throw the switch under the guy going over it. Now
one
> of the funniest things I ever experienced was Ramie Miller telling me on
my
> first day at Rochelle "kid if the signal maintainer or trainmaster see you
> steal the unlock your fired".Then not an hour later he says"kid go steal
that
> unlock as this guy goes by".The signal dept. locks on all the x/o at
Rochelle
> were so loose they almost came open on their own due to the constant
> "stealing" going on. Of course in todays environment nobody beaks any
rules
> for any reason and the new locks can't be "picked" by the the switch keys.
> Leo
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