Re: Flagging

Preservation railways have a fear of unauthorized use of torpedos. In the past some foamers have placed torpedos on the railroad to celebrate New Years or other events. The metal from a torpedo can cause injury simular to shrapnel. This is why they have been banned!
I recall two incidents. In one an interurban car was operated and incountered a string of probably 20 torpedos. The motorman "whipped the clock" and the car stopped in the cloud of choking smoke from the torpedos. Another one had a string of torpedos set out on a curve immediately adjacent to the museum store. These (and similar) irresponsible acts caused torpedos to be banned from our museum a good number of years ago.
Brian Norden