Two locomotives derail after theft

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Gabor Kovacs
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Two locomotives derail after theft

Post by Gabor Kovacs »

From: Rekord News Paper
Twee lokomotiewe ontspoor ná diefstal
Deur Du P Martins

Twee diesellokomotiewe wat 20 trokke vol erts getrek het, het verlede Woensdagmiddag sowat twee kilometer buite Cullinan ontspoor nadat dwarslêers onder die spore uitgesteel is.

Die eerste lokomotief het heeltemal ont-spoor terwyl die tweede die spoor net so ietwat byster geraak het.
Dit is volgens spoorwegwerkers reeds die sewende keer die afgelope twee jaar dat diewe die staal dwarslêers op die hierdie spoorlyn gesteel het.

Niemand is in die voorval beseer nie, maar die twee lokomotiewe is erg beskadig. Die erts was vir Davsteel bestem.

Die spoorlyn word merendeels vir die vervoer van goedere gebruik, maar soms ook deur Friends of the Rail vir plesierritte na Cullinan en terug.

Volgens ’n spoorwegwerker is sowat 100 dwarslêers gesteel en blykbaar is niemand nog in enige van die gevalle in verband met die diefstalle in hegtenis geneem nie.

’n Woordvoerder van die Bronkhorst¬spruit-polisie, Johannes Japhta, het bevestig dat Transnet ’n diefstalklag gelê het en dat die saak ondersoek word.
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Translation to EN

From: Record Newspaper
Two locomotives derailed after theft
By Du P Martins

Two diesel locomotives hauling 20 loaded iron-ore trucks, derailed last Wednesday afternoon about 2km's outside Cullinan after sleepers had been stolen out from under the rails.

The first locomotive derailed completely while the second track so slightly lost the directions.
Railway workers claimed this has been the seventh time in the past two years that thieves have stolen steel sleepers on this railway line.

No one was injured in the incident, however both locomotives have been badly damaged. The ore was destined for Davsteel.

The line is mainly for transporting goods, but occasionally by Friends of the Rail for pleasure to Cullinan and back.

According to a railway workers there was about 100 sleepers stolen, and apparently no one in any of the cases in connection with the thefts has been arrested yet.

A spokesman of Bronkhorstspruit police, John Japhta, has confirmed that Transnet has logged a theft complaint and that the matter is being investigated.
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Rob Jamieson
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Re: Two locomotives derail after theft

Post by Rob Jamieson »

One would think that for safety reasons, every operational line would be checked/monitored at least once a day, like what used to be done by the "Spoorbaan Gangs" in the old days.
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Brendon Anderson
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Re: Two locomotives derail after theft

Post by Brendon Anderson »

On the up side, at least the new concrete sleepers going in now wont be carried away like the steel sleepers. You just have to watch out for the pandrol clips disappearing!
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Steve Appleton
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Re: Two locomotives derail after theft

Post by Steve Appleton »

Not only that, Brendon, but also that the rails themselves are not cut up into short sections and carried away.

Rob, this line is only traversed once or twice a week by the Davsteel pickup freight. So, I doubt the economics of such routine patrols.

In my view, we at FOTR though do need to increase our vigilence ahead of each trip. The incidents of theft and vandalism on this branch line are definately increasing and it would be quite unacceptable for us to to put our passengers at risk.
"To train or not to train, that is the question"
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Craig Duckham
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Re: Two locomotives derail after theft

Post by Craig Duckham »

They are not replacing with pandrol clips but with the BR type. Not worth stealing for all the effort required with this type of clip. I assume that is why they using this other clip, but then again it might be what they had in stock!
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Steve Appleton
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Re: Two locomotives derail after theft

Post by Steve Appleton »

Carig, I will check next time we are out that way, but if I recall correctly, both types of clips are in use. The concrete sleepers are all second-hand, having been lifted from elesewhere and I suspect they are using whatever types of sleepers (and therefore clips) they can get. Experience with the Hercules-Magalies line also proves that these guys will not necessarily stop at sleeper theft. Cutting into short lengths and stealing of the rails, though harder and more time consuming to do discretely, is not beyond possibility. The lack of traffic and remoteness of some parts of the line give the ample time and cover needed.
"To train or not to train, that is the question"
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