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View Full Version : One less train bridge blown up


senior citizen
04-23-2013, 09:37 PM
Albany Herald | Canadian/U.S. terror plot thwarted (http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2013/apr/22/canadianus-terror-plot-thwarted/?sports)

This train would have passed by close to Albany New York............heading towards Toronto........

Thank God the plot was foiled by the Canadians..........



U.S. and Canada foil Al Qaeda terrorist plot to derail New York to Toronto passenger train, two suspects arrested - NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-s-canada-terror-attack-foiled-article-1.1324305)

U.S. and Canada foil Al Qaeda terrorist plot to derail New York to Toronto passenger train, two suspects arrested.

This is a long article; keep scrolling down please...........

Geewiz
04-23-2013, 09:55 PM
This thread name would be a great title for a song....hope you don't mind if I steal it

senior citizen
04-23-2013, 10:14 PM
This thread name would be a great title for a song....hope you don't mind if I steal it

No problem.

skyguy79
04-23-2013, 10:26 PM
Albany Herald | Canadian/U.S. terror plot thwarted (http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2013/apr/22/canadianus-terror-plot-thwarted/?sports)
This train would have passed by close to Albany New York............heading towards Toronto........
Thank God the plot was foiled by the Canadians..........
U.S. and Canada foil Al Qaeda terrorist plot to derail New York to Toronto passenger train, two suspects arrested - NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-s-canada-terror-attack-foiled-article-1.1324305)
U.S. and Canada foil Al Qaeda terrorist plot to derail New York to Toronto passenger train, two suspects arrested.
This is a long article; keep scrolling down please...........
Thanks for the posting. I found it interesting because we have traveled the rail from Albany NY to Buffalo (in part same route as being mentioned) many times before moving to FL, but we have never taken the train that is being referred to in the plot indicated.

The train route is called the Maple Leaf and it not only involves Amtrak, but also VIA in Canada. Amtrak equipment is used entirely in the operation of the route, however VIA's personnel take over when crossing into Canada and visa verse on the return trip.

You're mentioning Albany NY may lead some to believe that the bridge crossing the Hudson River just after leaving the Albany-Rensselaer Station heading west might have been the target. I tend to doubt any terrorist would target that bridge but might rather go for the US to Canada Whirlpool Bridge (picture below) as it would be an International target and more impressive... in their minds at least.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Whirlpool_bridge.jpg/350px-Whirlpool_bridge.jpg

senior citizen
04-23-2013, 10:45 PM
Thanks for the posting. I found it interesting because we have traveled the rail from Albany NY to Buffalo (in part same route as being mentioned) many times before moving to FL, but we have never taken the train that is being referred to in the plot indicated.

The train route is called the Maple Leaf and it not only involves Amtrak, but also VIA in Canada. Amtrak equipment is used entirely in the operation of the route, however VIA's personnel take over when crossing into Canada and visa verse on the return trip.

You're mentioning Albany NY may lead some to believe that the bridge crossing the Hudson River just after leaving the Albany-Rensselaer Station heading west might have been the target. I tend to doubt any terrorist would target that bridge but might rather go for the US to Canada Whirlpool Bridge (picture below) as it would be an International target and more impressive... in their minds at least.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Whirlpool_bridge.jpg/350px-Whirlpool_bridge.jpg

I only heard that comment regarding the "train would be passing close to Albany, New York" from our local ABC News Channel out of Albany with Mark Baker and Elisa Streeter, Steve Capporizzo, etc.........Mark Baker said that "had the plot been successful, the train from NEW YORK CITY would be passing by ALBANY NEW YORK enroute to Toronto, Canada."
That's how I heard it, in a nutshell........ I'm sure you are correct re which bridge it really would have been.

Yesterday, Monday, we saw the breaking news out of Canada........
What a week or two this has been..........to say the least.

We've only taken an Amtrack train once..........when we wanted our little son, 4 at the time, to experience an old fashioned train ride.......from New York City's Grand Central Station........to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.....and then back up to Albany on the "Montrealer".....every other time, we all flew. But , I can only imagine the horror of being on a train and then the bridge being blown up.

skyguy79
04-23-2013, 11:18 PM
I only heard that comment regarding the "train would be passing close to Albany, New York" from our local ABC News Channel out of Albany with Mark Baker and Elisa Streeter, Steve Capporizzo, etc.........Mark Baker said that "had the plot been successful, the train from NEW YORK CITY would be passing by ALBANY NEW YORK enroute to Toronto, Canada."
That's how I heard it, in a nutshell........ I'm sure you are correct re which bridge it really would have been.

Yesterday, Monday, we saw the breaking news out of Canada........
What a week or two this has been..........to say the least.

We've only taken an Amtrack train once..........when we wanted our little son, 4 at the time, to experience an old fashioned train ride.......from New York City's Grand Central Station........to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.....and then back up to Albany on the "Montrealer".....every other time, we all flew. But , I can only imagine the horror of being on a train and then the bridge being blown up.Sorry, didn't mean to imply that it was anything more than informational. As for the Montrealer, it can be one gorgeous trip in the fall if you hit the changing of the colors at just the right time. Although I have logged over 43,000 passenger rail miles over the years, I never got to take the Montreal trip out of Rennselaer. I guess it was just too short a trip for me or the fact that I just don't travel for the view exclusively.

Most of my miles have been cross country round trips. I also have an Amtrak Guest Rewards account and have accumulated enough points to travel two more cross country round trips in a handicapped accessible room, meals included, without having to spend a single cent for the reservations. When we moved here in 2011, I took the Autotrain and didn't have to pay a cent for that reservation either.

Buffalo Jim
04-23-2013, 11:58 PM
Most likely they were planning to blow the train up as it crossed the Niagara River near Buffalo NY . There is a railroad bridge which crosses from N Falls Canada to N Falls NY .

I served as a member of something called " The National Defense Support Command " .
Think Reserves for old guys . We had a very good sized chapter in the Buffalo / Rochester area . We did CERT training and were the reserves for the active reserves . We had monthly speakers at our meetings from various law enforcement agencies .
At one update a senior official of the Parks Police shared that they had spotted a group of men from the NY City area who had a trunk full of high tech equipment . A check of their videos revealed a very detailed series of photos and video of the underlying structure of the railroad bridge .
We were told that the Parks Police contacted Homeland Security and the vehicle was quickly taken away on a flat bed truck .However the people disappeared . This was almost exactly 2 years ago .

senior citizen
04-24-2013, 03:51 AM
Sorry, didn't mean to imply that it was anything more than informational. As for the Montrealer, it can be one gorgeous trip in the fall if you hit the changing of the colors at just the right time. Although I have logged over 43,000 passenger rail miles over the years, I never got to take the Montreal trip out of Rennselaer. I guess it was just too short a trip for me or the fact that I just don't travel for the view exclusively.

Most of my miles have been cross country round trips. I also have an Amtrak Guest Rewards account and have accumulated enough points to travel two more cross country round trips in a handicapped accessible room, meals included, without having to spend a single cent for the reservations. When we moved here in 2011, I took the Autotrain and didn't have to pay a cent for that reservation either.

I totally understand. Glad you posted the hyperlink to the actual photo of the bridge. We live in Vermont and although we do go over to your old "neck of the woods" when we need to get on the N.Y. Thruway or the Northway........or when we head "west" under the Great Lakes, I really could not name your bridges.

I was going to post it the day the Canadians announced the terror plot, but then something else came up..........but I'm glad I finally did.

We also took the auto train once from Florida to Virginia but that was a very long time ago.......in 1974 when we were returning back to Vermont from one year in Satellite Beach, Florida. Our son was 2 going on 3 and our daughter was just turning 6. She had gone to kindergarten on Patrick Air Force Base. That "era" was when there were LONG GASOLINE LINES at the pumps.........Florida was nice; we just missed the four seasons.....were still in our 20's.

I have friends in New Jersey who love to take Amtrack out of Penn Station to visit their adult kids in Raleigh North Carolina.......rather than brave the N.J. Turnpike and 95 all the way down. Great fans of the train system.
They can relax, read a book, etc.

We also took the train from Rennsalaer to New York City.....then a cab to Grand Central Station (that was an experience for our little girl and myself; all the homeless folks inside the station; in the ladies room on the floors, etc.........coming from Vermont it was different and a bit scary at that time, in the 1970's......we actually saw a fight break out right in front of us in the grand concourse between two homeless men)........

Train travel was how my dad would come from N.Y.C. to N.J. to court my mom !!!!!!!!!!!
My aunts would all take me on the "L"....or "El" for elevated train tracks when I was about 4 and 5..........and we would visit them in N.Y.C.
I still remember going by and "looking into the various apartments" right through the windows as the train was really up high..........

I appreciate your input on the foiled terror plot.........

skyguy79
04-24-2013, 08:36 AM
This thread name would be a great title for a song....hope you don't mind if I steal itI'll bet your had Marilyn McCoo's "One Less Bell to Ring" (The 5th Dimension) floating through your subconscious when you thought of this thread title being a great title for a song! I agree and the music to her song would go well with the new lyrics! Here's a set of lyrics for you:♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
One less, train bridge blown up
One less consist, blown sky high
One less train wreck, to pick up after
We should be happy, but bad guys will still... make us cry
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ :sing:

One Less Bell to Answer featuring Marilyn McCoo - YouTube (http://youtu.be/CDPE2fmN2U4)

billethkid
04-24-2013, 09:01 AM
and for every one that is caught or stopped we must remember there are many more that are still in the planning stage that will continue to emerge over time. And each time some are caught they learn from how those who were caught before them about what to do differently to not get caught.

We can only thank GOD for every day that goes by without a life stealing incident.

btk

senior citizen
04-24-2013, 09:10 AM
i'll bet your had marilyn mccoo's "one less bell to ring" (the 5th dimension) floating through your subconscious when you thought of this thread title being a great title for a song! I agree and the music to her song would go well with the new lyrics! Here's a set of lyrics for you:
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

one less, train bridge blown up

one less consist, blown sky high
one less train wreck, to pick up after
we should be happy, but bad guys will still... Make us cry
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
:sing:

one less bell to answer featuring marilyn mccoo - youtube (http://youtu.be/cdpe2fmn2u4)


love it.

senior citizen
04-24-2013, 09:13 AM
Most likely they were planning to blow the train up as it crossed the Niagara River near Buffalo NY . There is a railroad bridge which crosses from N Falls Canada to N Falls NY .

I served as a member of something called " The National Defense Support Command " .
Think Reserves for old guys . We had a very good sized chapter in the Buffalo / Rochester area . We did CERT training and were the reserves for the active reserves . We had monthly speakers at our meetings from various law enforcement agencies .
At one update a senior official of the Parks Police shared that they had spotted a group of men from the NY City area who had a trunk full of high tech equipment . A check of their videos revealed a very detailed series of photos and video of the underlying structure of the railroad bridge .
We were told that the Parks Police contacted Homeland Security and the vehicle was quickly taken away on a flat bed truck .However the people disappeared . This was almost exactly 2 years ago .

Thanks for sharing that. All of this news is very unsettling, to say the least.......good to know that there are those being super vigilant.