Passing along a theft notification guys

Did this occur in the meet hotel parking lot, or elsewhere?

Unreal...thanks for the heads up Erik.

Yeah BUMMER!

Our club the Denver Society of Model Railroaders also experienced a significant theft back in October of 2007 ($10,000 or more). We lost a Key Imports Big Boy, PSC M4A 2-10-4 (minus the tender!), Sunset BNSF GE unit, and a PRB Santa Fe full baggage among some loose pop fund money in the fridge and some odds and ends over a period of time. These items have never surfaced to to my knowledge; I've watched eBay, told the community it was even published in 48/Foot OSN. My loss was the PRB baggage car and have not been able to find another since.

The photo is the model stolen from the March meet. I was not at the show; as of yet I need to go to a March Meet (bucket list) but have a personal interest in spreading the word about this model since I also had a theft and our models are often one of a kind pieces we can't replace. We can only substitute them. We are a small family the 2 rail hobby and I still think these thefts are random by crooks that have no clue. Just the same our theft in 2006 was likely an employee of DUS with access to our facility. The theft occurred a matter of weeks after we had to surrender access to our layout room to the DUS management; first time in 73 years.

I hope the guys finds his model.

Thanks Erik - Let's hope something show up.  

 

I'm always looking for PRB Santa Fe brass.   What paint scheme was the baggage car, any way to identify?

Howard,

It was just like this car except it had a crummy paint job. No lettering

The Mailbag publishing from March 2008 XXXVIII Number 1 issue 185 of O Scale News 48/ft.

The M4's tender was left behind! And we have the boxes. It's was a garden variety crook no clue as to what these things are or where to sell. They likely have been dumpstered years ago.

This was the other model. Not the one pictured but just like. Same factory paint GE from sunset. 2 rail of course and no box.

This one was OGR forum member ChipR's.

As an aside, we found brass detail parts down the hallway leading to the exit a few weeks later.

 

ChipR

Sad events. Must confess, the potential of theft or damage caused by inappropriate touching by viewers, has kept my collection out of the public eye. Yes, unfortunately these thefts were probably by non-hobbyist moxes just stumbling on a theft opportunity.

Thank you Chip for reminding me of that. I also wonder if any models disappeared during that flood event we had in 2011.. We were wide open for days; even though we hung out down there many many hours the club room was open up for the taking for at least 12-13 hours. I know I'm missing many freight cars after that but what can you do?

The detective told me in 2007 "call your insurance company.."

       
       


Exactly

I personally went through something similar.  My feelings about events like this are nothing I could express here.

 

 

Maybe...Maybe not.

 

One time, about 8 years ago, I was talking to a guy who went to a lot of 2 rail shows as a vendor. He sold stuff but mainly did custom work for people. He told me that one time a brass hopper was stolen right off his table. I asked him, "Why would someone do that?" And he said, "I think it's the brass. It makes these guys go crazy." I guess he was alluding to how gold has a history of making men do crazy things and that brass in this hobby is similar. I don't know what the reason was but I am sure that this particular thief wasn't a non-hobbyist as non-hobbyists do not show up to 2 rail shows.

 

I think it's possible that it could have been a non-hobbyist in the theft at the Denver Club and at the March meet but if it wasn't what reasons could a hobbyist have for perpetrating such a crime? I can only think of two but I am sure there must be some more: #1) the person is a kleptomaniac and can't help themselves or #2) they are so enamored or hooked on this hobby that they want the trains so badly but don't have the funds to pay for them so they steal them. This would explain how the trains never surfaced because the thief kept them for themselves. If they really were dumb criminals you would think that somewhere down the line they would try to fence the trains and get caught. I would think a brass Big Boy without a tender would raise a few flags, but I am not a criminal psychologist so I am just guessing here. Tell you one thing I sure would like to find out exactly what happened and why.

 

Look at those train store robberies in PA. You know those crooks knew what they were taking and what the trains were worth. They didn't just happen to walk by a locomotive in a car so they must be into the hobby on some level.

 

I really feel bad for the folks who have had their items stolen. It is definitely a terrible feeling. I sincerely hope that someday you get your trains back. You never know, I read a story once where a guy who had Corvette stolen in the early '70s got it back 30 years later.

Hudson J1e:   yes, in-show theft would most assuredly be a hobbyist. I have often had a subliminal thought walking through a big show like the March Meet/Chicago, how tempting must be all of these beautiful trains. And really, no one aggressively guarding them. I sort of clung to the thought that many vendors have told me that they find hobbyists' checks never bounce; was hoping that honesty permeated all activity. To lose a Burlington 2-10-4 or Milw Hiawatha - too painful to contemplate.

Very sad news but I would think it harder to fence a stolen two rail scale model than a Lionel or MTH O gauge 3 rail model. The two rail O hobby is a very small community but I would guess thieves that know nothing about value would either use these engines as a shelf piece or try to sell it at a hobby shop or at a flea market. The hobby has to band together to stop these thefts, catch the culprits and put them in prison where they belong.

Question: I read that the model was stolen from the gentlemen's car. I am curious if the car was damaged when it was broken into. Stephen

Now THAT is an excellent question. I have been assisting the folks from Sunset/3rd Rail for a number of years and I can't tell you how many times I have seen folks making multiple trips to their vehicles from the show, and how many forget to lock their vehicles.

Sounds like he never locked his car. I have gone to shows and common sense is to lock your items in the trunk. Never in the car where they can be seen. Sounds like an open invitation for anyone on the dark side. This item most likely not be found for years. Stephen

Locking your car. Some people live where one never needs to lock a car or house and that habit may go with them to shows.

Then those folks had better learn how things are done in the Chicago area!