Page 24 - All About History - Issue 28-15

Outlaws

How to

ROBATRAIN THE SCENE OF THE CRIME Bridge

Nightfall
Signal
Carrying out the robbery
Robberies have a better
Tamperingwiththe
when the train is
chance of success if
train signals will help
stopped over a road will
carried out under the
youbringthetrainto
NEED CASH BUT A BANK HEIST IS TOO cover of darkness. a planned stop. allow for an easy escape.
RISKY? ANYWHERE, 20TH CENTURY
Often lightly defended and on the rich and famous, so the
a set track, the world’s railway sums of money aboard are
carriages have regularly smaller. This, combined with
been targets for criminals. a tightening of security and
A popular endeavour of the faster trains, has resulted in
outlaws of the American a decline in train robberies.
Wild West, this sort of crime Perhaps the most famous of
lingered right through to the all time was in 1963, when a
20th century. In recent years, train was hijacked in the heist
trains have stopped being a that would become known as
favoured source of travel for the Great Train Robbery.
WHAT YOU’LL Gang of robbers
There were 15 crooks working
NEED on the Great Train Robbery –
make sure you trust them all.

BALACLAVA
Getaway vehicle
You could always run, but
GLOVES it’s good to have a vehicle on
hand to whisk you and your
buddies away.

PISTOL

WIRE CUTTERS

Preparationiskey Tamper with the signals
TRAIN Trains are fast, so the location of the holdup has to be The world of rail is controlled by signals, so if you master
TIMETABLE 01planned carefully. A low bridge is usually a good area to 02 these, the whole process will become much simpler. A
attempt a heist, as being close to a road increases the chance train driver and the guards on board won’t be suspicious of a
of making a quick and clean getaway. Additionally, it may be a red stoplight, so rewiring the signal system is a must. Now you
good idea to undertake the robbery in a rural area and ideally at have a small window when the train is stationary, it’s the perfect
night – fewer witnesses. opportunity to climb aboard.

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