Railcar theft $5.5 million.

[ZenOps]

http://www.thv11.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=251982

No, they didn't steal the actual railcars (it would be the silliest chase ever, as the tracks might suggest)

Just the copper wiring, $5.5 million worth from 22 railcars.

Porsche ain't got nothin on a railcar.

My guess is around $5/pound copper where things start getting ugly, at anything above $10 and society might start to implode as people might start going after active power lines.

[Cos]

.

[ZenOps]

Depends on what country, and how close to the power plant.

The closer you get to an old power plant, the more likely the lines are copper. Telco lines have mostly been moved to fiber optic, but the demand is still there. It seems that plumbing has been moved from copper to PEX in all new installations as well, any repair work, they will take out the copper.

There is nothing left other than the older pennies, which is pretty desperate all things considered. I would have thought actual WWIII would have broken out before we started to melt the pennies.

[speedog]

Just got to find your way into any telephone exchange - tons of copper in them. Plate copper that's one inch thick by 6-12 inches wide by 8 feet long - that should be worth a bit.

[heavyfuel]

^^ Good luck trying to sell it. I sell 80-100 lbs/week of legitimately obtained copper, and CPS requires that buyers retain DL #'s and document each and every transaction, whether it be 5 or 5000 lbs. They regularly shake down the buyers' paperwork too.

[Supa Dexta]

Ive met the mobile buyers in parking lots before and they've never asked for ID.

[DarkDream]

Originally posted by heavyfuel
^^ Good luck trying to sell it. I sell 80-100 lbs/week of legitimately obtained copper, and CPS requires that buyers retain DL #'s and document each and every transaction, whether it be 5 or 5000 lbs. They regularly shake down the buyers' paperwork too.

I'm pretty sure if they had obtained copper illegimately, then i'm sure they have a similiar illegimate way to sell it.

[Maxt]

Originally posted by ZenOps
http://www.thv11.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=251982


My guess is around $5/pound copper where things start getting ugly, at anything above $10 and society might start to implode as people might start going after active power lines.

What do you mean might start...lol.. At 2.50 a lb it got ugly. Some guy in Calgary BBQ'd himself in a transformer vault with a set of bolt cutters already.
Just prior to the olympics in China, residents of a town in Japan woke to no electricity or phone lines. Apparently a group came over by boat, cut down and spooled the cable and sailed off with it.
A few years ago I did a service call for no air conditioning at a building, to find that someone had cut all the copper out of live and till recently functional air conditioner.
Theft of copper is huge already, most of it you never hear about.

[Supa Dexta]

Yeah its greasy too - small towns are losing it out of their event facilities, that are only used seasonally - exhibition grounds and stuff, and they cant afford to replace it or protect it really.

[heavyfuel]

Originally posted by DarkDream


I'm pretty sure if they had obtained copper illegimately, then i'm sure they have a similiar illegimate way to sell it.

Wow sharp as a razorblade lol