Metal thefts are moving to the railways. Recently there have been several cases where thieves have been taking off with tracks.

“A big piece of metal like that as much as it weighed would bring a pretty good chunk of change,” said Officer Shawn Jackson with the Williamsburg Police Department.

Williamsburg police arrested Brenda Harmon, 57, and Carl Moses, 51, of Willamsburg along with Eric Brooks, 21, of Rockholds and Janie Lawson, 52, of Tunnel Hill, Georgia after they say the four stole railway track equipment and tried to sell it. Officer Jackson says an officer was off duty Friday driving in the Wofford Community, when he noticed the four near the tracks.

“He observed them trying to load the rail at first and they couldn't’t do that, so they hooked a chain to the rail,” says Jackson.

Even though it was almost a 20 foot long piece of railing, they managed to drive away while dragging it behind them.

“So he had to get on the phone and by the time he got a hold of us, where we could meet him, they had already made it up the road to the scrap yard,” explains Jackson.

The officer tracked the four down at the scrap yard by following the engraved trail left behind in the pavement.

“As you can see it’s CSX Railroad property, so it’s one thing to even be on the property but it’s another thing to be taking the equipment,” said Jackson.

He says it is crimes like this one that are becoming all too common.

“Instead of stealing TVs and VCRs, DVD players and stuff like they used to, they’re going for this metal because they can take it to the scrap yard and trade it for cash,” said Jackson.