Riding the Rails

[100acre]

Has anybody here ever looked into this mod of adventure transportation? It's such an awesome idea and a great

way to see much more of the country than the common motorist or off roader may never see. Repurposing abandoned railways for tourism is a great idea. I'm thinking of a possible upcoming future project.

 

[Dave]

I think it's a good way to meet God

Seriously, VERY cool but I think there's rules/laws governing rail use. But there are stretches of derelict rail that could be epic to explore. Rails often pass through rough terrain where roads were too expensive.

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Railroad police are pretty aggressive and the RR companies spare no mercy in the prosecution dept. As far as using something like that on abandoned Tracks? Heck yeah!! The old Carizzo Gorge railroad immediately comes to mind.

 

[100acre]

I believe that most of the videos I saw were sections that were abandoned by the RR. I guess I should've mentioned that. Edited OP.

 

[100acre]

There is a growing hobby in legal rail riding and it happens all over the country and some is promoted by the railways.

http://www.narcoa.org/forsale/4sale_want.htm

 

[Dean]

Yes... and if i did, it would be with something like this:

(and yes, that's a real photo)

 

[BoldAdventure]

The guy in the video lives here in Boise and works at the Boise Rail Depot giving tours and volunteers at the Nampa depot. Apparently this is the state for that sort of thing, with a lot of old logging and mining lines that are now derelict. My Grandfather was an engineer for Conrail back in the day. I remember as a kid getting to ride the engine a few times.

Needless to say, I'm a train nerd myself. Choo Choo!

 

[100acre]

Yes... and if i did, it would be with something like this:

(and yes, that's a real photo)

Wow! That's an awesome combination!

 

[TangoBlue]

Yes... and if i did, it would be with something like this:

(and yes, that's a real photo)

What's equally interesting and is related to the vehicle you see in this image is US Army Railway Operations whose origins begin in the Civil War evolving eventually into the Transportation Corps of today. Army Rail was responsible for rebuilding much of Europe after WWII. There is still a call for this occupation, assigned to reserve units (MOS 88P, 88T, and 88U).

 

[Dean]

What's equally interesting and is related to the vehicle you see in this image is US Army Railway Operations whose origins begin in the Civil War evolving eventually into the Transportation Corps of today.

The Army installation my dad used to work on actually had two Army locomotives on it for moving stuff in and out of the depot. They also used it for moving ammunition out to the storage bunkers up along the mountain. I actually have some photos I took back in the early 90's when they mobilized the Patriot Missile Defense Batteries for the Gulf War. More recently it was MRAPs. The rails to the depot pass right behind my house. Needless to say I get to do some very interesting train-spotting.

 

[Borrego60]

I have even looked at Rail Bikes in the past.

 

[Borrego60]

 

[100acre]

I see a new addictive hobby stirring....

 

[100acre]

This is cool and local. Ride the rails here in WNC!

http://craggymountainline.com/category/gallery/videos/

 

[100acre]

Found another Colorado map of abandoned rail road lines. Each with a unique historical story. Possible lines to explore and look for fossils and artifacts or access to hunting and fishing areas otherwise shut off from the populations.

http://www.abandonedrails.com/Colorado
An example:
http://www.abandonedrails.com/Uintah_Railway

 

[100acre]

Many of these can be bought for $2,500-$6000. Most if not all are built with a turntable to turn it 180* .

 

[100acre]

Another interesting view of Europe.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Here's a link to somebody who makes the wheels.

http://www.railriders.net/railriders.html

 

[woody]

I can just see a set of those orange ones on an Impala