Vintage train horn stolen from Central BC Railway and Forestry Museum

Thieves stole a valuable M5 Airchime railway horn from the Central BC Railway and Forestry Museum on the night of Saturday, Feb. 22.

Workers arrived Sunday morning to find the horn missing.

Train horns have been a common target for thieves at the railway museum. Last year, two other horns were stolen, including a rare BCR M5 horn, which was also important to the museum and its tours.

Baptiste Marcere, executive director of the museum, told The Citizen that the thieves must have had knowledge of train parts and the work being done.

“It’s clearly someone who knows exactly what they were doing,” Marcere said. “Because you can't see the horn from below. So, you have to know it’s there on that specific machine.”

Marcere also noted that these horns can go for as much as $5,000 if sold to a collector.

M5 Airchime horns have been a staple of railcars since the early 1950s and are among the loudest horns available.

Working replicas can still be purchased on eBay or Amazon for upwards of $3,000.

Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, media relations officer for the Prince George RCMP, told The Citizen that people should watch for the stolen property on online resale sites or marketplaces and report any sightings to the RCMP's non-emergency number at 250-561-3300.

This is what an M5 horn sounds like: