News & Reviews News Wire Railfan camera captures trespassers, vandals at Horseshoe Curve NEWSWIRE

Railfan camera captures trespassers, vandals at Horseshoe Curve NEWSWIRE

By Chase Gunnoe | August 29, 2017

| Last updated on November 3, 2020


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HSCIncidentAug29
A Facebook page promoting railroad safety and education shared screenshots from Virtual Railfan’s Horseshoe Curve camera showing the three trespassers and vandals from Sunday’s incident near Altoona.
STOP Photography and Trespassing on Railroad Tracks via Facebook
ALTOONA, Pa. — A video streaming service for railroad enthusiasts recently spotted more than just trains at the Horseshoe Curve Park near Altoona.

The video streaming service, Virtual Railfan, LLC, captured three trespassers and vandals around dusk on Sunday evening climbing on rail equipment and jumping across fences.

The three men were spotted breaking into the museum and climbing fences protecting both Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line and the exhibit of Pennsylvania Railroad EMD GP9 No. 7048.

A screenshot of the video stream captured one individual on top of the GP9 locomotive and another man prying open a compartment of the display unit.

Screenshots were immediately posted to social media where nearly 400 people shared the images.

Trains News Wire reached out to Horseshoe Curve Railroaders Memorial Museum for comment on the incident, but had not heard back as of Tuesday morning.

A representative with Logan Township, whose jurisdiction covers Horseshoe Curve, confirms with Trains News Wire the city’s police department is conducting an investigation.

The representative says the department has identified the three suspects and referred additional comment to the police officer handling the investigation.

News Wire had not heard back from that officer as of Tuesday late morning.

19 thoughts on “Railfan camera captures trespassers, vandals at Horseshoe Curve NEWSWIRE

  1. Again they need to be caught then take everything away from them and then have them come down to Houston,Texas and work to clean up in all the bad. Then just maybe they would learn what helping people is like not taking from people, also not giving them a break for nothing!

  2. Gary, the place is pretty open and would just involve a hike uphill. The nearest police would be in Altoona, some miles away, or a state or township police officer who would need to then walk up to the little park at the Curve. Or the RR police. By that time the vandals would have vamoosed. On the other hand, its hard to hide a vehicle anywhere nearby that can’t be spotted.

  3. If these three were caught on camera why didn’t Virtual Railfan LLC call the police wright away? Is there not any security here?

  4. What is important is that the three dirt bags have been identified. They may not be aware of the deep trouble they are in unless already caught.

  5. I have always been curious as to how complete this locomotive is? Is it operational or is it just a shell?

  6. If you want to see trespassers just watch the Trains camera in Rochelle for a while. I watch it a lot and I see trespassers on the right-of-way almost every day. I recently watched 3 young children playing on the tracks for nearly an hour. Now that Rochelle is a “no horn zone” it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hit there.

  7. I agree with Mr. Berg. Not one of them tried to cover his face. The one guy, laying on the ground in the bottom left photo, is looking right into the camera. His entire face is visible. These guys would never make it in burglary.

  8. One too many beers, and one not enough brains. Camera’s, camera’s. They’re everywhere. Only idiots haven’t figured this out yet.

  9. The vandals likely aren’t “foamers” (over-enthusiastic railfans), more likely just your garden variety destructive and ignorant louts.

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