[article] Seven level-crossing gates stolen in northwest

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by RTE

Seven level-crossing gates stolen in northwest
Updated: 11:48, Wednesday, 31 August 2011

Seven level-crossing gates have been stolen on the railway line between Ballymote in Co Sligo and Boyle, Co Roscommon.

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Image from Irish Rail's safety campaign
Iarnród Éireann says that seven level-crossing gates were stolen in the early hours of Sunday last between Ballymote in Co Sligo and Boyle in Co Roscommon.
Two gates were stolen at Cloonloo and five at Culfadda, according to a company spokeswoman.
She said Iarnród Éireann moved fast to secure the train lines for the safety of livestock and the public.
Cabling had been stolen in the past but level-crossing gates, which can be up to 14-foot high, had never been taken before, the spokeswoman said.
GardaÃ* in Ballymote and Boyle are investigating.

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[James Howard]

The mind boggles at such stupidity. Risking (albeit a very small risk) hundreds of lives for sake of a couple of hundred euro worth of scrap metal.

Given that it would take two or three men working for several hours not to mention a few gallons of diesel to run a truck to do this, it is quite difficult to see how it would even be worthwhile.

Are these user-operated gates? I suppose there is no real danger if they are attended gates but just a lot of cost.

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by James Howard

Given that it would take two or three men working for several hours.

Perhaps there's a quick release on the gates to allow impact damaged gates to be replaced rapidly? Seems like a well planned effort to get that many before the alarm was raised.

[Mark Gleeson]

These are heavy duty farm gates.

They would be bolted in place so would be very quick to remove with the right tools.

One imagines the thieves had a truck of some kind with a hoist

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...reaking31.html

Thieves steal railway crossing gates

Thieves have stolen seven gates from railway level crossings in the northwest.

The 4.3m by 1.5m steel barriers were taken from junctions at Clonloo, near Boyle, Co Roscommon and Culfadda, near Ballymote, Co Sligo.

They were noticed missing early on Sunday morning and Iarnród Éireann workers moved quickly to secure the unprotected openings.

Iarnród Éireann spokeswoman Jane Cregan said the removal posed a big threat to lives.

“Obviously it‘s a very serious matter to have a live railway with no barriers for pedestrians or livestock,� she said. “This is something that we are taking very seriously, and indeed the gardai are investigating it.

“It could have caused a very serious incident and we are just happy that nothing happened.�

Ms Cregan said the thieves would have needed a trailer because of the size of the gates, and the operation would have taken some planning. “It would have been quite a big job to remove these,� she said.

While Iarnród Éireann has been targeted before for copper cabling, they have not had steel gates, which would be much less valuable, stolen.

The company said it was possible thieves wanted the gates for their own use or to sell on for use again or as scrap metal.

GardaÃ* in Boyle and Ballymote are investigating the thefts.