Working rail roads and their tracks.

[MossRoad]

I will say that I don't agree with taking private land for rails to trails.

A lot of that depends on who owns the land. Did the RR own it? Was it an easement? Does the abandoning of the line kill the easement? A lot of different situations for different folks.

The line on the edge of our property was officially abandoned by the Pennsylvania RR. So the property is ours free and clear. I would have liked to see either the county or state work something out with the RR and property owners to convert it to a trail, but that didn't happen and never will, as as soon as the RR sent letters that they abandoned it, almost everyone of the property owners dug out the ballast and sold it. The ground underneath is not farmable in most places, but in a few it's been turned back to field.

 

[ArlyA]

Here is a nice video about WWII era steam engines still working (not tourist) in eastern Europe today.

 

[Hay Dude]

We have lots of trails along canals and old railroads here. No crime so far and lots of families in season.
Many houses back into the trail.

We are however in a low crime area.

On the NJ side, the trail goes into Trenton, super high crime area. I have never read about any crime on that trail. But I doubt anyone would use that section at night.

Couple points here:
1. what is going on on those trails that you DON’T know about?
2. One of my relatives writes for a big newspaper. Crime reporting can run the gambit from heavily reported to completely ignored. Many who report crime have agendas.

Along with farming, I manage several large properties owned by out of state owners. I have spent many harrowing moments running off strangers. Good thing I have big hands and used to fight in a ring. Some of those strangers are tough lookin hombres and it definitely gets your heart racing. Most are people “just passin through”. They park their cars illegally on the property and start trespassing the property’s trails looking for who knows what….
I think many are looking for opportunities to steal stuff sometimes.

Kids open gates and animals escape. That’s a freakin disaster and if we had rails to trails in my area, that would happen.

You might like the song “this land is your land, this land is my land”, but I don’t. If this land is MY land, then it’s MY land or my customers land and I don’t want people to have access to it through some rails to trails nonsense.

Put the rails to trails through PUBLIC land and don’t be ruining peoples PRIVATE property values and privacy with trails through their yards.

 

[MossRoad]

Here is a nice video about WWII era steam engines still working (not tourist) in eastern Europe today.

Man, what great sounds!!!

 

[MossRoad]

Here is a nice video about WWII era steam engines still working (not tourist) in eastern Europe today.

Did you notice around 6:25 one of them being dragged with locked wheels?

 

[ArlyA]

I certainly did. No brakes on there coal cars?

 

[caver]

An issue I have is I believe some ebikes are allowed on some trails. Yet my dual sport motorcycle is not. If motorized vehicles are not allowed, fine but don't make exceptions for ebikes.

 

[MossRoad]

I certainly did. No brakes on there coal cars?

I don't know... that was strange. I see smoke near the other end of the train. Maybe the other engine was pulling from the other side? Stretching the cars out? Who knows, but I've never seen that before.

 

[MossRoad]

An issue I have is I believe some ebikes are allowed on some trails. Yet my dual sport motorcycle is not. If motorized vehicles are not allowed, fine but don't make exceptions for ebikes.

Get off the trail, grandma!

We were on a trail by one of our kid's houses near Pittsburgh, and noticed that about half of the bikes were elderly people on e-bikes. They weren't going any faster than most of the other bikes. Several had what appeared to be their grandchildren on conventional bikes with them. The only bikes I didn't feel comfortable with were the spandex-clad hardcore cyclists going really fast. They are fast and quiet. Most have the courtesy to ring their bell or yell "On your left!" before they get to you, but a good portion do not.

 

[BravoXray]

At 3:40 in the video, the engine is being dragged backwards with it's drivers locked up too.