About mid-last week, I read a brief mention on a railfan chat group, a UP train passing through Spokane, Washington received damage from gunshots. I don't know if other than the engine was struck. No mention of injuries. I fear the shooter escaped. Has anyone heard or read something about this crime? Seems odd that I have found nothing further.
Cant speak of this incident. I was headed East out of GJ to DV in the late 1990's and all of a sudden the windshield on the Conductors side shattered, didn't break but shattered. Didn't take long to see the projectile had disintegrated in our windshield by looking at the little lead cluster in that windshield. We of course told the DS we had been shot at, and hit. A neighbor of this guy told the local authorities, RR police, US Marshals the guy was a bad drunk, and was always shooting at trains as he heard it all the time. Everyone knew exactly who it was, but could not produce the weapon, so he got away with it. WORD. if you dont like whistle grade crossing sounds, dont buy a house between 2 grade crossings, and this particular RR has been there since 1890's, so no excuse. Train crews are the only ones it seems (by company rule) not allowed to carry weapons.
I so miss the days when crews would extend a friendly wave from open cab (and caboose) windows. This time-honored tradition has faded into history and it still makes me sad. Given how segments of our society have devolved, I certainly understand why windows are closed today. [about 1976, EJ&E Barrington, IL]
As this incident supposedly happened just last week, I am very surprised there is absolutely nothing to be found about it.
I have not seen anything on the shooting ... blank, nothing, nada. Spokane news usually gets to us before getting further East so who knows? BNSF still gives me 'the honk' when I am trackside and wave at them. That can be at the Libby Station or elsewhere. Everybody grins. They will even open a window and whistle at ya if you happen to be carrying fish up from the river. Many moons ago we took NP to Chicago, then flew to NJ and remember a rock hitting the Dome car window. Scared the sh.t outa us and the kids were seen running away from the rails - like that mattered where we were. I ( we ) hopped a freight in Spo circa 1970 and ended up in Vancouver WA riding IN one of the new cars atop a car hauler - got damn good gas mileage! Anyway just after that they started covering the sides of the haulers as glass was getting broken ... jerks! Later
