The Brazos railroad bridge is stuck in the up position thanks to some thieves who stole copper wiring and did significant damage to the span’s controls, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s department.

Capt. John Robertson said the theft appears to have happened within the last three to four weeks.
This corresponds to a report to the sheriff’s department from some fishermen on the morning of Nov. 28. The anglers said they saw three men wearing dark clothing and carrying large, full plastic bags near the bridge, at the 1800 block of Milton Road. Pieces of copper wire were left behind in the western span of the bridge. The men left the scene in a dark blue or black Chevy pickup truck.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson from the American Rail Consultants firm out of Oakland, which is doing consulting work on the bridge, reported that the thieves removed $125,000 worth of copper wiring — all of the copper wiring in the western span — and did another $125,000 worth of damage to the bridge’s controls in the process, according to Robertson. The Sonoma-Marin Rail Transit-owned bridge is stuck in the up position, though it is rarely used, Robertson said.

Anyone with information on the theft is asked to contact the sheriff’s investigations department at 253-4591.


I TIME TO FRY THE WIRE thieves