Has anbody heard anything regarding the two train shops that were robbed in Central Pennsylvania?

Jimmy,

I have been wondering the same thing. It's been pretty quiet.

I sent an email to Ed's trains asking for a list of the stolen trains to post here and no reply. According to what I have read, they broke in and took all of his stuff. Ed's entire inventory of trains was stolen. The thieves had to be there for quite some time.  Bowsers has apparently not released a list either. Either they don't want help or are uninterested in the model railroading community helping out.

What can I say; Ok, let them have it their way!

This is Terrible. Please keep,us informed. I hope both Stores had good Insurance. Thanks for Posting this thread. 

I stopped by Ed's for the first time in late January- right before this happened. I'm struggling to understand how they got his whole stock. The place is right on a fairly busy road between his house and another- like RIGHT between them. It was cluttered with inventory, and he said he had stuff in the store's attic and his own attic as well (I was looking for postwar in particular and he said he would have to dig it out of one or the other, depending on what I wanted). Just hard to believe it could've happened without some detection

It's a possibility that these merchants were told not to talk about it. I'm sure it's still an open case.  Kind of like when the detective says......'ok when you robbed the guy, you shot twice right?" Suspect, "no, I beat him with a baseball bat"  Gotcha! The fact of how the man was harmed was never released. Sometimes silence catches crooks. Well, dumb crooks anyway!

Thanks, to everyone that has responded. 

Maybe somebody heard of a person or persons in Penn with a sudden need for two sponsor signatures to join the TCA so they can sell stuff at York?

Oh wait - I forgot... Nobody has to vouch for anybody to get into the York halls anymore.

How can this type of criminal abhorrent behavior be stopped unless we are all aware of what was stolen? IMO, a list of the items taken and posted on an O gauge forum would limit the opportunities for the stolen trains to be sold and also increase the chances that the thieves would be apprehended. It would also insure that the community doesn't accidentally purchase stolen goods which BTW is highly illegal.

Maybe some of them will show up at one of the bandit shows before York.

Based on what I have been told by some ex-PA-State-Police I know, on active investigations, the police decide what info is to be released and when, and the victims are told not to talk until the police OK it.

Andy

The unfortunate issue here is that by the time a list is made public many of the items may have switched hands already. Time is of the essence.

I'm sorry. I take exception to this. When I talked to them they were still compiling a list of missing items for the police and insurance company. Of course they would appreciate any help to find their stolen merchandise. As for the efficacy of publishing a list I won't second guess their or law enforcement's decisions but I wouldn't make an assumption that they don't want help. English's has been very supportive of model railroaders for a great many more years than most of us have been around. In their time of trouble such criticism is unwarranted.

Jim,

   Usually because the cost of the inventory makes these type of crimes a felony here in Pa, the State Police Investigators will ask the store owner not to divulge any information to anyone.  In 80% of these crimes an employee or close family friend has either participated in the crime, or knows who actually committed it.  Most times with these on going felony investigations, no information will be available to the public.

PCRR/Dave 

Mr. Sutter,

WNEP-16 did a on air story about montoursville. watched it online, who ever did it knew the layout of that store very well. 

When reading the description of the location of Ed's, on a fairly busy street, closely abutting the two houses, one of them being the owner's, and stealing all the inventory... it sure seems, is the word fishy?    

Back in the mid 1970's some friends of my parents lost everything in their house twice to a day time burglary. Their house was on the corner of a major road and the first house in the development. The husband worked at an auto parts store and the wife drove a school bus in the morning. Both went to work and when the wife came home the house was completely empty. Everything was taken in less than four hours. Furniture, clothes, dishes, rugs and appliances. Two months after the insurance company replaced everything the thief’s hit them again. One neighbor saw a non-descript truck in the driveway and assumed they were getting a delivery. A well-rehearsed gang can accomplish a lot in a short amount of time.

Surely, the victims do care. Silence may be interpreted two ways: (1) depression over the events and (2) ongoing investigation. My advice: give them breathing room to get themselves together.

I don't understand why folks are so hot to get a list of what was stolen. Lets say one of the items was a 681 turbine. There are thousands upon thousands of them out there. How would one know it any particular one came from a robbery?

How many trains are there that can be uniquely identified?

I think the point is, if you saw a guy selling on eBay from a region somewhat close by, and he had a bunch of stuff from on the list, it might be a decent clue.

Wow...sorry for the loss...but, the world must be getting really, really tough...if there is a real market for stolen toy trains?

Speculate, please....what hope does someone have...to the point they would commit a felony...of re-selling stolen toy trains?

I don't get it.