(The following report appeared at CBS4.com on March 17, 2009.)
KENDALL, Fla. — The man who allegedly stole a train right off of the tracks is expected in court Wednesday.
Brandon Dowdy, 22, has his scheduled arraignment on charges of grand theft, burglary and illegally interfering with a railroad track.
Dowdy and Alex Johnson-Self, 23, are both accused of stealing the blue and yellow CSX railroad engine from a train siding at 13293 SW 144th Terrace in Kendall last month and taking it on a joy ride. The locomotive was found seven miles away in Homestead. Johnson-Self is charged with theft and railroad interference for allegedly helping Dowdy start up the locomotive.
He didn’t actually take the joyride, however, and apparently met up with Dowdy in Homestead, according to detectives.
Police say Dowdy knew how to swipe the train because he is a mechanic and has a great love of trains.
Even though the locomotive was driven without the approval of the CSX train tracking system, there was no traffic on the line at the time and luckily, no collision.