do not do these

Placing Items on Railheads ("Experimenting")-

NEVER under any circumstances place ANYTHING in front of a locomotive wheel or leave it on a railhead for a train at speed to run over. It's not an experiment or a game to see what the train will do to the object you ILLEGALLY placed on the track. This is a major transportation network you are fooling around on. Some objects like coins can become deadly projectiles spat back at you from the train's spinning wheels. Dense items on the railhead may cause a derailment by making the wheel lift and disengage the flange, which can be a major disaster. You are also committing a crime by destroying currency. YOU can be FINED or IMPRISONED for that as well.

If you derail a train by placing an object on the tracks, you can face both STATE and FEDERAL charges as well as put the community at risk.

SEEING it on YouTube does not mean it's SAFE or LEGAL to do! Ignore the comments and use your head!

Note the video on the right- IT IS ALSO A SERIOUS CRIME to put objects on tracks in England. This gentleman threw a microwave onto the tracks and someone died as a result of the injuries from a sudden stop.

REMEMBER- YOU ARE ALSO TRESPASSING IN ORDER TO DO THIS!!!

Dumping-

What is dumping? Dumping is illegally putting your trash on property that is not yours. YOU are also TRESPASSING. On a railroad right of way, It is putting the garbage and other objects along a right of way that shouldn't be there. They range from a variety of things that can pollute, present environmental hazards, diseases or fire hazards to brakemen along the right of way. It's ugly and unsightly. It attracts vermin.

Objects can wind up on the tracks and cause derailments. People even dump residential trash, furniture, chemicals, sewage and car parts. Dumping also attracts the wrong people who trespass on tracks. Some hobos live along these railroads in camps bringing crime as well as their trash.

Trash is not the only thing dumped along railroads. Unfortunately, railroads have also been locations of homicides or where bodies are dumped. That can delay trains as it becomes a crime scene being investigated. Some of these places where railroads have their yards are not in the safest and choice parts of town. People who do this also face several charges including murder. We will discuss this further on the Crime page of this site.

Trash belongs at a recycling center and NOT along a railroad track. If caught, you may face a FINE or JAIL. If someone is hurt by your dumping, you may face additional charges.

Links for Review

Dumping Along Railroads

Illegal Dumping Issues on the Union Pacific

Father Who Dumped Child's Remains Along Railroad

Ignoring Fences-

Fences at railroad tracks are put in place for a reason.

• A fence is there to identify, enclose and secure a hazardous area.

• Some fences may have signs posted that "The use of deadly force is authorized." or "Photography is forbidden." With deadly force, they WILL SHOOT and KILL you if you are in that area. This is typically in military areas or other sensitive areas vital to national security. The Military DOES use our railroads to transport its equipment and dangerous cargo. YOU WILL be detained if caught taking pictures and your camera will be confiscated.

• There may be electrification of the fence itself, or the fence may be topped with razor wire.

• There may also be guard dogs or a patrolled area.

• Fences are also a boundary of railroad property, private property or indicate an active work area.

• Fences are not to be climbed, breached, or destroyed. They are to be respected. If you do not see signage, fences are still there for a reason. You may not know the hazards on the other side. NEVER ASSUME anything!

• If other people disregard fences, it is not a green light for you to do the same. It doesn't make it any less illegal. "But other people do it!" is not an excuse if you are caught.

• If you disregard fences, YOU ARE TRESPASSING and putting yourself at risk of arrest, injury or death from hazards on the other side of that fence.

• A fence is there to protect YOU.

• If you are caught in an area on a railroad without a fence, it does not mean you should be there or the area is safe! With all of the active trackage in the US, it is impossible to fence it all off. There are places along railroads without fences. Look for signage and if none, you still need to STAY OFF AND AWAY! "I didn't see any signs." is NO EXCUSE when you are being arrested for trespassing on railroad property.

• The decision to go carelessly through a fenced off area or safely going around a fenced off area is YOURS. CHOOSE WISELY!!!!

Drugs and Alcohol-

They are a really bad idea around railroads. This is NOT the place at all for a party with your friends trackside. Add drugs and alcohol to the mix, and you have another uninvited party guest- DEATH. Drugs and alcohol are what you don't do in a place that you shouldn't even be in the first place. It doesn't change the consequences YOU are going to be responsible for and answer for in court later.

Leaving a friend lying drunk on the tracks because you needed more beer is no excuse. CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS CAREFULLY!!

Why is it so dangerous?

Your ability to detect an oncoming train will be impaired. Your reaction to an oncoming train will also be impaired. You and your friends risk injury walking and falling on tracks sober in the daytime. It's even worse and more dangerous being under the influence- especially at night. You risk losing consciousness by passing out drunk on the tracks or from an injury from a fall. An oncoming train may not see you on the tracks, run you and your friends over, and all this because you wanted to party. Imagine waking up in a hospital and hearing your friends are dead. You do not want this.

These three videos show how lucky some were and some who weren't. Note how fast the accident happens. These are videos shot in real time. This is why it is so important you are fully alert and unimpaired at a train platform. Incredibly, there were survivors in these videos, but that does not mean death did not occur.

What happens to you if you are caught partying along tracks?

If you are caught by police, or if EMS responds, you will still face charges for drugs and underage drinking if you are under 21. This is in addition to trespassing. You may also be charged if someone dies from your drunken or drug laced bender. Local police, if they catch you, will turn you over to the railroad police.

Railroad employees take this seriously knowing the dangers of railroading. They know the dangers of drugs in their workplace and accidents that can happen to people impaired and those who aren't. Ordinary people do not realize how dangerous it really is to be on tracks- even while being sober. Like them, you have a choice to be sober and not use the tracks as a place to party.

Rape and Sexual Assault

Besides death, these are other uninvited party guests that can show up. Rapes and sexual assaults can happen at parties regardless of where you are. You do not have to be on a college campus. It can also happen in a woods near railroad tracks. It can also occur when teenagers experiment with both alcohol and drugs.

Drugs and alcohol reduce the ability to consent for sex. A girl being drunk is not an invitation to have sex with her during a party in the woods or anywhere else. If you do anything to inhibit her consent by getting her drunk or putting drugs in her beverage, you are committing rape. If the girl is underage, you are committing statutory rape. (sex with a minor under the age of 18) Both are serious felonies. That one moment in your life can seriously affect another for the rest of theirs.

The ONLY space you should be on a railroad is at an ACTIVE passenger station. These places are meant for the public to access trains safely. When waiting at the station, it is always best to stand well behind the yellow line on the platform. Typically, you will notice a textured surface. This is to indicate to people who are blind that they are in an area of the platform they shouldn't be.

This is where PAYING ATTENTION comes into play. A train can come at any time. If it is an express train, it will not stop and be at speed. When walking on the platform you need to be aware of your surroundings. Anywhere inside that yellow line might make you get hit by a train. There are things like hand grabs or lights protruding from the locomotives and cars which can strike you at speed. The best place is well behind the line on a bench or in a waiting room. Wait for the train to stop completely and the doors open before boarding.

Do not fool or horse around on platforms!

The train platform is no exception when it comes to behavior. This is a HUGE thing you do not do- especially at the edge of a platform. It's about a 4- 6 foot fall to the tracks. If you fall, a speeding train may run you over much like what happened to Jenny in the video. They are really fast when they are not stopping at your station. Jenny died because of a distraction with her friends, making her unaware of where she was, what was happening and what she was doing. How you behave on a train platform will make the difference between you living or dying.

Boarding-

When the train is stopped and boarding from an elevated platform, you need to be mindful of the gap between the platform edge and the side of the train. You do not want to fall there. If you happen to drop something on the tracks, LEAVE IT! Do not reach for the item. You may fall. Trains come very fast with little time to react. Tell a police officer or conductor. There is nothing that is not able to be replaced except for you.

Crime-

Violence on train platforms- especially subways, is on the rise. YOU also need to be aware of people around you. You can be mugged, assaulted or even pushed into an oncoming train. Plan your route and do NOT wait anywhere that you do not feel safe at on the platforms. Call the police immediately if you are suspicious of someone or feel threatened.