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Doh!

How hard is it to smuggle/carry explosives in the U.S.? Why not let the explosive force of 4-8 Diesel locomotives do your work for you?

Think about it. How close was the device to a railroad switch? What if the device is used to trigger a switch when the train crosses, putting two trains approaching each other on the same track?

If I understand the location of the find, it was in the large Amtrak switching yard that holds both Amtrak and SEPTA trains for deployment during the rush hours. This system is electric, not diesel, and the yard speed limits are quite slow.

The yard is part of the Zoo Interlock complex which is one of the most complicated rail interchanges in North America. It's where the Northeast Corridor (Boston-New York-Philadelphia-Washington) meets the old Pennsy Main Line (Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh-Chicago). Add to that the intersection of SEPTA commuter lines (Paoli, Trenton, Wilmington, Chestnut Hill, Elwyn, Airport, Bala Cynwyd), and you have a recipe for gridlock, both on the local and regional rail scene.

But to make it work, you'd need a large number of these devices because of the redundancy the old Pennsylvania Railroad built into Zoo Interlock. It would take more than one bomb on a track to shut the complex down.

"What if the device is used to trigger a switch when the train crosses, putting two trains approaching each other on the same track?"

My thought exactly.And the whole goal doesnt have to be killing people, but disrupting our economy and the availability of essential goods.

Ive even seen 2 miles long trains loaded with tanks and other military equipment.

And there probably isnt much that isnt carried by trains, but im no expert on that. It just cant all be carried by 18 wheelers although at rush hr it seems so.

I wish there were stats as to how often head on train collisions happened in the past, then compare them to the last year or so. Im sure the FBI thought of that.