Trespassing in Dexter...

A 40-year-old Detroit man was arrested April 2 for trespassing on Norfolk Southern railroad tracks near Island Lake and Broad Street.  An Amtrak operator contacted 911 when the train almost hit the man while passing through Dexter.  Deputies searched the area and found the man lying down next to the tracks. A broken bottle of wine was found near him and a full bottle of wine next to his leg. The man told police that he was just trying to get home and that no one would come and get him. The man said he had been released from jail the same day and was picked up by the Department of Natural Resources on a warrant and taken to Chelsea to stand before a judge. The man was released from court and told to pay a fine.  The man said he then walked from Chelsea to Dexter and was trying to find a ride but was unsuccessful. The man said he was waiting for someone to give him a ride and during that time got the wine and went to the tracks to drink it.  A preliminary breath test revealed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.18 percent.  A security representative from Norfolk Southern requested that the man be charged with trespassing on railroad property.  He was arrested and taken to jail until he became sober. The case has been turned over to the prosecutor for review.

CN gives class for Selfridge firefighters...

Canadian National Railroad gave a class on railcar and tankcar safety and response at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The Selfridge Fire Department was the recipient of the training.  The Selfridge Fire Department provides fire protection to the base and the surrounding area through a mutual aid agreement with Mt. Clemens, Clinton Twp., and Chesterfield Twp. where rail incidents are a possibility.

As North America's largest railroad, CN plays a key role in TransCAER, the transportation element of the Community Awareness and Emergency Response program developed by the Canadian Chemical Producers Association.  TransCAER is an information training program for communities through which dangerous goods are transported. As an active supporter of the program, CN participates with the chemical industry in holding information sessions for community leaders on emergency resources and procedures to be taken in the event of an incident involving dangerous goods.

Working together, the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association and the railroad industry have created a safety train using a tank car specially equipped with the different types of top and bottom fittings common to most cars used to move chemical products. The unit is moved across the CN system to train chemical industry workers in the safe loading and unloading of tank cars, and to familiarize firefighters, police, and emergency response teams with the safety features of this railway equipment.  From Selfridge firefighter Dan Meinhard.

Bluewater forced to cancel excursion...

Bob Thatcher, President of the Bluewater Michigan Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society reports that the Chapter regretfully has been forced to cancel the excursion trains scheduled for May 15 & 16, 2004 due to an unexpected and ruinously expensive insurance requirement was imposed on the Chapter at the last minute.  Ticket purchasers should return their tickets to the sales point for a full refund.  We wish the Chapter the best in resolving this problem in the future so that the popular trips can return.  Hopefully, the insurance market will lighten up in the future.