Boys escape detention home, take train joy ride

[unformed 0]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16666352/

Quote

NELSONVILLE, Ohio - Two boys walked out of an unlocked juvenile detention home and took an early morning joy ride on a train — until authorities tracked them down.

The boys managed to start up the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway locomotive early Tuesday morning after breaking through a side door into the building that houses the engine, said Sgt. Edward Kurtz of Nelsonville police. No cars were attached to the engine, which usually hauls tourists.

The tracks go by the windows of the city police station, and Hocking College police also noticed the engine rolling down the tracks.

“That’s very unusual. The train runs only on weekends,” Kurtz said.

He said the boys rode about 12 miles to Logan, blowing the train whistle and waking residents. They also stopped by a grocery store off U.S. 23, where Athens County sheriff’s deputies took them into custody.

Basic knowledge of trains
Matthew Burks, 16, of Proctorville, and Zachary Walden, 13, of Portsmouth, were charged with juvenile counts of burglary, theft and escape, police said.

Burks, who had some knowledge of trains, was driving the engine, Kurtz said.

“He got it started and away they went,” he said.

The boys had walked away late Monday from Hocking Valley Community Residential Center in Nelsonville, where youths stay on the honor system instead of going to a state detention center for juvenile felony convictions, said Valerie Roth, assistant director.

Nelsonville is about 60 miles southeast of Columbus.

Man ... I wish I did shit like this in H.S.

This ad space for sale.

[PhreeZone 15]

Thats not all they did, they actually coupled and uncoupled cars and moved them to a side track also after operating the switches to allow them to leave the area.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[funks 1]

Quote

Man ... I wish I did shit like this in H.S.

[unformed 0]

Quote

Quote

Man ... I wish I did shit like this in H.S.

Well if you didnt spend so much time on the receiving end of your local glory hole perhaps you could have done things like that.

[KevinMcGuire 0]

These days, I work for the rail road and I can say that while this may seem like a nothing more than great thing to do while still a juvenile, I can assure you that it is not.

Consider this. What if they had encountered an on coming train? No doubt, they most likely would have killed the other crew and in doing so devastate their families. How would my wife and child feel if I died for some thing as senseless as a joy ride.
Further more, Lets say for example that my train is loaded with Hazardous material (as they often are) and several cars derail as a result of this stupidity. How many people in the surrounding area would have died or been displaced from their homes. How disastrous would the environmental impact be?

For the answer, you'll need to look no further than the recent news from Kentucky and Tennessee. Both states experienced major incidents resultng in loss of life and property as a result of derailed trains just this week alone.

Sorry for getting all serious.

[PhreeZone 15]

The line that this train is on is one that is part of a private scenic railroad line. It cruises back and forth on the same line all weekend doing things like "holdups" where some masked train robbers ride up beside the train on their horses, board the train then rob everyone of their fake money at "gunpoint" before hopping back on their horses and riding off into the woods. Its pretty much an old abandoned line that is used just for this old 60's era diesel engine and the 4 cars plus caboose that are owned by the private RR company. Some rich guy's play thing if I'm reading the local papers correctly.

If they had taken it into town another 5-10 miles and did a few switches then they could have been on the main freight tracks for that area but police officers and CSX actually had locked the switches down so they would have just derailed instead.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com