If/when SHTF grain/coal trains will be sitting in various locations, some in yards, some of them stopped out in the middle of nowhere with the crews long gone and the engines out of fuel in about 3 weeks of idling (they never shut them off when it gets below 40 degrees) anyway...I would think enough guns could claim the works. But I would also think the military (what's left) going to come looking for them too. The coal is usually powdery but will burn in a 55 gallon barrel stove I would think. Gotta be other valuable hidden teasures out there too. Close by me is a warehouse that supplies all the planting seeds to the farmers for next years crop. I've had guys tell me a pickup load of alphafa seed was worth a million dollars...don't know if that is true but that warehouse certainly going to hold the future for brotherpoops crops and high on my list of protection. Got grain elevators nearby too and about 30 miles away the big Cargill ag shipper. Forget the "looters supermarkets." I'm going for the big stuff.
The biggest load I see here by train is pulpwood for the plywood plant. Maybe useful as fuel, though it'd be pitchy. Another thing for the outdoors 55 gallon drum stoves, I think. Hate to come upon a cattle or pig transporter just abandoned for a couple weeks . . . phew!! Wouldn't you hate to pop open a big juicy boxcar to find it loaded to the gills with cheap Chinese MP3 players, Rap CDs and "Tickle Me Elmos" . . . ?
We've got a coal fired power plant or two within about 10mi.seen coal trains every 2or 3weeks or so..Along with pulpwood for the papermills...
If the shtf is a mankiller type event w/ a total collapse and or dieoff, Abandoned Trains will definately become a natural resource in some AO's. Also get a copy of Emergency Response Guidebook.It will have all the symbols and ID numbers for all tankers and the type of liquid they are hauling.18 wheelers too. Also a PDR will be handy for pharmacuticals.
I would say that what they think of it would depend a VERY great deal on what you scavanged, where and how. Scavenging could well describe dumpster diveing at the collage at the end of the year when the collage kids throw away good computers, bikes, furniture and what ever else, getting stuff dumped along side the road and in farm dumps or set out for the trash and large item pick up as well as hauling off unwanted junk and scrap metal for folks. As long as its this general type of thing then most of it is totaly legal and whats not (like tecnicaly dumpster diveing without permission isnt) no one generaly cares about and the law dont generaly hassel you on, picking up trash along side the road may get you questioned untill they figure out it is going INTO the truck and not OUT though. lol
I don't steal anything so the law hasn't became a problem. Its like Monkeyman pointed out. I haul alot of unwanted junk,scrap iron and whatnots.I hit the local dump a couple times a month.From there,I am always picking running lawnmowers,tillers,tvs,chainsaws,wringer washers,etc.I also clean out repoed houses for a few realty outfits and banks.People always leave cool **** behind.I resell most of what I scavenge privetly and to local 2nd hand store. Here are a few of my treasures. Generator that runs good. A forge I built out of all scrap. 2 blacksmith handcrank drill presses. A forge I saved from a scrap pile I bought Boat I bought for $40 as scrap.
Hand crank bench grinder. Handcrank knife sharpener. These are just a few samples.Recently I have picked up a White Herald wood cook stove,made in 1897 and another antique forge.The stove needs a few small repairs but is in excellent shape for being 1/2 buried in the ground under abunch of other junk.
This is my wood cook stove I use.I paid $100 for it at a antique store. This is a boom I built for a neighbors tractor to set trusses on a barn we built.I used all scrap iron. This is the boom setting the trusses.
Some pretty good finds there, I know I would love to find a forge and be able to start pounding out knives and such again. Over the summer I did some scraping/scavanging myself both off our place and cleaning out ditch/farm dumps at a couple neighbors places to sell scrap metal.
