Burlington Northern train crews near the railroad's diesel shop at Interbay were surprised when three linked but apparently unmanned locomotives idling on the tracks started honking their horns.

But they were flabbergasted when the locomotives suddenly started to leave.

A BN switch-engine crew set off in hot pursuit, and a dispatcher radioed a southbound freight train ahead on the tracks to speed up, to avoid being overrun by the three errant engines while in the BN tunnel underneath downtown.

A half-hour later, after the engines were recaptured near Tukwila, a 35-year-old Everett man was arrested and accused of grand theft, locomotive.

BN spokesman Howard Kallio said yesterday that the hair-raising race began just after 1:30 p.m. Saturday, when someone climbed aboard the three idling engines, which were awaiting servicing.

Kallio said the diesels began honking, and then took off, gathering speed through the yard before entering the mainline heading south. By the time the stolen locomotives made it through the tunnel, they had reached nearly 70 mph, Kallio said.

As all three trains raced on through South Seattle, Kallio said, the thief faithfully blew the engines' horns at every road crossing. But Kallio said he doubted that all of the railroad crossing lights and barriers had time to operate because the engines were traveling so fast.

Kallio said BN officials briefly debated whether to throw switches ahead of the engines in an effort to derail the thief, but decided it was too dangerous.

Once out of the city, the freight train ahead on the tracks was ordered to gradually slow down, to box in the stolen engines, Kallio said.

Near the Black River junction at Tukwila, the switch-engine crew finally caught the stolen locomotives, and as the freight train ground to a stop, the stolen locomotives were penned in.

Kallio said a check showed no significant damage other than to the brakes. The thief, Kallio said, had not known to take off the brakes.

Kallio said he didn't know why the man had stolen the locomotives.

Tukwila police said they arrested the man at the request of Burlington Northern, then turned him over to the Seattle Police Department.

But Seattle police spokesmen said yesterday they could find no official reports of the incident, and therefore could not identify the accused thief, his current whereabouts, or offer information as to his motive.

The locomotives, however, were back at Interbay for the delayed servicing, which will now include new brake pads.