11-21-2012, 05:19 PM
It's pretty much what the links say. There were two major problem areas for pilferage, one where the SP routes ran between San Pedro and Los Angeles, and one along the Arizona border. The biggest problem was with piggyback trailers, since it was easy to get up on the car and cut the locks on the trailer doors if the train was stopped for whatever reason. I think the need for this was a lot less once double stacks became common (since you can't force the doors open if the containers are in the well positions) and the auto racks were fully enclosed. They wouldn't normally be used on locals, just auto racks and intermodals.