By Eric Berger
WICHITA, Kansas—Three teenagers are facing charges after allegedly entering and vandalizing historic rail equipment at Great Plains Transportation Museum in Wichita, Kan., on May 20. Police were called to the scene after an alert railfan reported seeing the youths breaking into the museum on a Virtual Railfan camera trained on the BNSF Railway tracks next to the museum.
The witness said their attention was initially attracted by what looked like smoke coming from a baggage car. A closer look revealed the trio of youths breaking into successive pieces of equipment, the witness told police. One of them reportedly used a skateboard to pound on the door of ATSF 93, an EMD FP45 that was one of the last group of new passenger engines delivered in the famed Santa Fe Warbonnet paint scheme. Police arrested the trio near the museum, two aged 16 and one 17, on suspicion of felony criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing.
The cab of Santa Fe FP45 93 is seen busted in at the Great Plains Transportation Museum in Wichita, Kan.
Museum spokesman Drew Meek said damage was sustained by four rail cars and the museum building as well as ATSF 93. Meek said the worst damage falls into two categories, broken glass and door handles and hardware damaged as the teens allegedly forced their way into the cars. The rough estimate for repairs is $10,000. He noted that replacement parts are not always available for 20th Century rail equipment and custom fabrication is expensive. He said the “smoke” observed by the witness was actually discharge from a fire extinguisher.
Meek said the museum has suffered several incidents of vandalism in the past, but that this was by far the worst in the 40 years since its founding as a successor to the Great Plains Railway Museum, which lost its home when Amtrak service ended and Union Station closed in 1979. He said the museum is staffed solely by volunteers and that he was grateful they all showed up to help clean up the mess.
He said the group has spent years raising funds for projects like the cosmetic restoration of ATSF 93 and that it is discouraging when an incident like this sets them back. Donations can be made by calling the museum or online at gptm.us/donate.