Teh One Who Knocks
08-23-2011, 09:24 PM
Railroad: 'This is not acceptable!'
By Daniel Dunkle - The Herald Gazette
Rockland — A 22-year-old Waldoboro man who rode from Rockland to Bath on the top of a Maine Eastern Railroad train Sunday morning told police he had climbed on top of the train Saturday night after doing some drinking.
"This is not acceptable," said Maine Eastern Railroad Vice President and Director of Passenger Operations Gordon Page on Aug. 23. He noted that it was extremely dangerous and it was trespassing.
The Bath Police Department received a call from a Woolwich resident at about 11:30 a.m. Aug. 21, who had seen a man lying down on the top of the moving train. The train was headed from Rockland to Bath, according to Bath Police Lt. Stan Cielinski.
Police are not releasing the name of the man unless charges are filed.
Officer Richard Ross flagged the train down after getting the attention of the railroad workers at the intersection of the tracks with Centre Street in Bath. Police and railroad employees helped the man down from the train's top.
The man told police he had been drinking in Rockland the night before. He climbed up on top of the train to sleep, and when he woke up it was moving, according to Cielinski.
The man reportedly told police he wasn't afraid because there was railing on the top of the train.
Page said there is no real railing on the top of the dining car, where the man was riding. He said it is flat on the roof and there is a walkway to allow access for maintenance purposes. He said the man may have been holding on to the fluted channels that run the length of the train to allow snow and rain to flow off it.
"That's not what it's designed for," he said.
Page said the man was on top of the train's dining car, two cars behind the locomotive. He added that the vehicle is authorized to reach speeds up to 59 mph.
"Assuming he was awake, I'm sure he had his eyes closed," Page said of going that fast on the top of a train car.
He said the man could have fallen off and been seriously injured or worse when the train reached a curve.
Page said he never expected someone to trespass in this way. "It's not easy to get up there," he said. "If you're young and fit and stupid you can do anything if you set your mind to it."
He said the railroad will review the police report and take the appropriate action.
Cielinski said the young man's parents picked him up in Bath, noting that he had a hard time explaining to them why he was in Bath when his car was in Rockland.
The police officer said the incident highlights the danger of doing things that don't make sense when over-drinking.
By Daniel Dunkle - The Herald Gazette
Rockland — A 22-year-old Waldoboro man who rode from Rockland to Bath on the top of a Maine Eastern Railroad train Sunday morning told police he had climbed on top of the train Saturday night after doing some drinking.
"This is not acceptable," said Maine Eastern Railroad Vice President and Director of Passenger Operations Gordon Page on Aug. 23. He noted that it was extremely dangerous and it was trespassing.
The Bath Police Department received a call from a Woolwich resident at about 11:30 a.m. Aug. 21, who had seen a man lying down on the top of the moving train. The train was headed from Rockland to Bath, according to Bath Police Lt. Stan Cielinski.
Police are not releasing the name of the man unless charges are filed.
Officer Richard Ross flagged the train down after getting the attention of the railroad workers at the intersection of the tracks with Centre Street in Bath. Police and railroad employees helped the man down from the train's top.
The man told police he had been drinking in Rockland the night before. He climbed up on top of the train to sleep, and when he woke up it was moving, according to Cielinski.
The man reportedly told police he wasn't afraid because there was railing on the top of the train.
Page said there is no real railing on the top of the dining car, where the man was riding. He said it is flat on the roof and there is a walkway to allow access for maintenance purposes. He said the man may have been holding on to the fluted channels that run the length of the train to allow snow and rain to flow off it.
"That's not what it's designed for," he said.
Page said the man was on top of the train's dining car, two cars behind the locomotive. He added that the vehicle is authorized to reach speeds up to 59 mph.
"Assuming he was awake, I'm sure he had his eyes closed," Page said of going that fast on the top of a train car.
He said the man could have fallen off and been seriously injured or worse when the train reached a curve.
Page said he never expected someone to trespass in this way. "It's not easy to get up there," he said. "If you're young and fit and stupid you can do anything if you set your mind to it."
He said the railroad will review the police report and take the appropriate action.
Cielinski said the young man's parents picked him up in Bath, noting that he had a hard time explaining to them why he was in Bath when his car was in Rockland.
The police officer said the incident highlights the danger of doing things that don't make sense when over-drinking.