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Posted by: OffRder15
Some tracks have enough room to SAFELY ride along side. I've done that before however I've never ridden ON the tracks. There's a defference between riding on the tracks and riding along the tracks...I only partake in the latter.
Posted by: thud
If ya want to ride on the tracks go right ahead, nobody is going to stop ya... besides.. the gene pools getting a lil too crowded anyway.
Posted by: Daren420
I have been involved in 2 fatal grade crossing accidents, once as a conductor and once as an engineer. Remember, the railroad crews also suffer whenever these accidents occur. There have been many times that I have been worried unnecessarily by motorists that didn't stop until the last second or just barely beat the train at the crossing.
These trains can roll very quietly and with a little wind they can be upon you before you realize they are there. I know of a crew that hit an atv about 2 years ago. Luckily the guys on the atv got out of the way. What if they had ran the wrong way and the atv would have hit them after it was struck by the train?
This forum is viewed by many children as well as adults. I don't think we want to give any youngsters these kind of ideas. And by the way, there are places where freight trains can travel as fast as 70 mph.
Daren
Posted by: Daren420
There are some places along our tracks that I would love to ride. Challenging terrain and beautiful scenery right along the Mississippi river. It would be great.
I guess that I'm fortunate to have St. Joe State Park within 2 hours of me and I have several other places to ride within reason. I do wish Little Sahara OK was a little closer. BR>
Daren
Posted by: Daren420
For some of you that don't know diddly about mainline railroad operations, there are certain rules that benefit the train crews. One rule allows us to back the train up to pick up a crew member. This rule allows us to back up under certain provisions and let me assure you that a train backing up 20+ mph can very easily sneak up on you as long as the wheels on the cars do not have significant flat spots. Also, I have been on trains that dang near ran over pedestrians walking down the tracks. If you are on an atv, especially one with a louder aftermarket exhaust, I will assure you that it is quite possible for a train to be on top of you before you realize it. Expect the movement of trains at any time, on any track, and in any direction.
A train doesn't generally sneak up on people, what about the people that are hit by trains and claim to have never even heard the whistle?! It happens.
As far as compensation for the noise of the trains, most can be thankful that those trains bring coal to their coal-burning electric company.
Daren
Posted by: Daren420
Quote
Originally posted by: Starky
"But on the other hand, I know for a fact that there is at least one of you do gooders that think nothing of drinking a 6-pack of beer on a 3 hour trail ride."
Not me, never had a beer in my life.
Posted by: MUDDY4LIFE
Dont take this personal,but you are plain stupid for riding your ATV on ANY train tracks,and anyone that gives you even one idea how to better navigate them is even a bigger dummy.
Your time would be better spent joining a local ATV club and discussing what your club is planning on doing to remedy the lack of riding area's in your State.If you need help with this area,im sure there are many of us that would rather offer this advice instead of helping you do something that is not only illegal,but down right dangerous.
Posted by: Bing
basic rules for riding near tracks
- dont get hit by the train
- dont damage the tracks
- squish a few coins when the oppurtunity arises
Posted by: Bing
jeep verses train
Posted by: Bing
Quote
Originally posted by: bigred225
a penny can de rail a train yes because there are certian vibarations almost like frequency waves if u set a penny in the right spot it will mess up those vibrations and possibly de-rail a train and they also ight fly out going faster thana bullet there are actual reports of this happening
yeah right!!!!
apparently you have never done this before
Posted by: Starky
What a thread. Ya, riding on the train tracks is stupid and illegal so don't do it.
Unfortunately, we do stupid things all the time. Sometimes we get away with it and sometimes we don't. I could tell you stories of riding on the tracks but I think I'll take the mature route and just say it wasn't worth the thrill and excitement or the time we saved getting home.
But on the other hand, I know for a fact that there is at least one of you do gooders that think nothing of drinking a 6-pack of beer on a 3 hour trail ride.
In the words of Forrest Gump's momma, "stupid is as stupid does".
Posted by: CaptainQuint
I grew up around trains, a train yard and railroad tracks. We were always around trains. Like any other large piece of machinery they need to be treated with respect. They can't exactly stop on a dime but they generally don't sneak up on you or chase you either. They are the bigger than a house and noisy and if you watch what you are doing you can be around them reasonably safely. The only people who really ever got hurt were the drunks, the stupid or the really unlucky. The average guys who were just walking through the train yards to go fishing or hunting along the track or riding along the tracks or whatever never got injured.
Now that being said actually riding on the tracks isn't the brightest thing to do. The right-of-way gets used a lot in my area for riding however. Everyone has always hunted and fished on railroad property too. It was always sort of an unwritten compensation for the annoyance for the train noise and whatnot. No one ever bothered any railroad equipment or anything other than ocasionally hopping a freight to get somewhere. It just gave folks access to some good fishing areas some good rabbit hunting and some places to ride atvs and places for kids to go swimming etc. The railroad never got in a twist over it until the past 10 years or so. They started locking gates and charging folks with criminal trespass and the like. It hasn't really discouraged it all that much and really soured the locals on the railroad. It is hard to undo 100+ years of community tradition. After 9/11 if got even worse. I can see the railroad's point. Every nimrod who gets hurt sues (no one around here ever has). Folks even offered to sign releases but still no dice. The company big shots are afraid we're terrorists. Must be all the bib overalls and seed corn hats that tipped them off. Real popular activewear with the splodeydope crowd who go ass up to mecca 5 times a day.
Posted by: Doctorturbo
We're going to read about you in the paper one of these days.
Posted by: redmtn
I wouldn't do it! I have been trained and studied accidents where people were walking on the tracks and a train comes up from behind and kills them. There is something about how sound travels through train tracks that makes it very hard to hear the train coming. Now these are people who are walking not riding an ATV. In So Cal they had a local Police Officer killed the same way while investigating a train related incident and had a tv program talking about how you can't hear trains. If I was going to kill myself, I wouldn't do it that way, too many people would be affected.
Posted by: tencubed
Quote
Originally posted by: UTU
Riding on or near ANY railroad tracks would be insane. Seen too many results of this happening. Just had a woman/mother get killed on a 4-wheeler. Riding over the bridge when there was a trail under the bridge! Had 2 kids and a husband, she was 34 years old. Terrible for her family,terrible for the train crew to watch and live with. Takes a mile and half to stop a loaded/empty train. Think about it. We CANNOT stop once we see you, in time. Not easy to live,sleep with these memories!
ps: Riding on the right of way is the same,think about it? High-wide loads, Straps,chains used to secure loads that have broke/came loose dragging the ground!
PSS: Its ALL illegal
UTU knows what he is talking about. A number of years ago I investigated a death along a RR track. The man that died was working for the RR and had been standing near the main line while his train was on a side line. He had his back to the main line and was talking with a co-worker when the train they had stopped for came by. Unfortunatly a piece of heavy steel had come loose on a flat car and was protruding out about five feet. This piece of steel struck the deceased in the back of the head throwing his body along the mainline about 30 feet. He left a widow and one small child. This steel would have been just the right height to take out an ATV'r setting along the line.
Not nice stuff to write about or remember but anyone that thinks they can tempt this kind of danger and always survive is just flat wrong. If you must ride along train tracks I would suggest you be sure to keep a recient picture of yourself for your survivors to display at your funeral because any train related death I ever saw ended with a closed casket.
Posted by: rolsmojave3
Remember all it takes is one more ATV related death and the media and CPSC is all over the manufactures and will try to shut down the areas that we can ride in
Posted by: montyh
i work in a locomotive shop and we get locomotives in to fix every so often that have had collisions with tractor-trailor rigs and such.some of these locos are not even damaged except for cosmetic stuff. the pilot (read "front bumper") of these 465,000# babies is 1 1/2" steel.
you decide who is gonna win. a person + quad is only gonna make a grease spot
and you are trespassing on private property when on the railroad right-of-way
monty
Posted by: mywifesquad
Quote
Originally posted by: Augie
Quote
Originally posted by: butzla
Did she cry?
Talk about insensitive.
Imature, covers it pretty well too.
Posted by: mywifesquad
Quote
Originally posted by: MrDumass
What kind of person would not cry when their son was killed??? This is the first time I have ever wanted to report something to a mod, but I see that one has been here already, and I hope that you have been verabally corrected.
He has been warned/advised.
Posted by: SkoolBoy
If your neighbor hood and if your train is on a schedule i dont see whats wrong with it..theres a train by my sisters house that comes twice a day same exact time every day...but since its dangerous to ride on tracks, might as well not go up the next hill you come to in the woods..way too dangerous..and dont goto that pay park either because there way to populated and someone might come around a corner at 30+ and hit ya...way to dangerous...im not being immature guys but lets face it, ur wreck,get hurt or seriously injured more on the trails than u will anywhere else....this isnt the safest hobby/sport...all in all dont ride on the track if you know nothing bout it, but if u do and if its some awesome riding that you cant live without than just b careful....
im sure ill get flammed, but seriously im not trying to be stupid or immature..just throwing in the best part of forums, and thats .02
Posted by: SkoolBoy
Quote
Originally posted by: Bing
jeep verses train
wow, not sure why they didnt get out..defently had time, but thats not the point..it defently lookd like 2 bodies laying there, one in front smashed and one in the back still in the jeep....NASTY!!!
Posted by: MrDumass
Quote
Originally posted by: butzla
Quote
I worked with a woman who had to be notified at work by the sheriffs dept. her son had been struck by a train and killed.....WTF could you POSSIBLY be thinking for crying out loud?
Did she cry?
What kind of person would not cry when their son was killed??? This is the first time I have ever wanted to report something to a mod, but I see that one has been here already, and I hope that you have been verabally corrected.
Posted by: Dirtydude
Bah don't listen to them guys, they don't know your situation
I ride some train tracks on occassion and it's not a big deal as long as you know where the train is. The tracks I ride has but one train that runs on them and it only goes 20 mph at max. It is a bit unnerving though I'll admit hehe.
I found that on my Grizz I have enough ground clearence to straddle one of the rails, then I can go a good 45mph without too many worries....just make DAMM sure you keep a good eye out for cross rails and culverts etc etc. If you don't have enough ground clearence perhaps remove some gear from your quad as tons of people have these big boxes mounted and full of junk..perhaps you can also stiffen your springs a bit.
I found that it's a great way to get places I otherwise couldn't.
Posted by: Dirtydude
"Sucked" in?
That is ridiculous
Oh and for the record I DO NOT condone riding on railroad tracks, you take your life and put it at risk by doing so.
I am satasfied in my situation because I know where the train is at all times, and I don't ride the rails but for short sections ans always where I can see down the rails for a long ways.
Posted by: LilMikey
Look I'm not trying to be the bad boy BUT I ride the tracks all the time. Only acouple rules 1) Look up and down the tracks most of the time you can see a mile or so. 2) If you get caught where a train is coming up on you get at least 30 feet away from the track. Some times the bands that band things together break and they will spring outward. A guy walking the tracks got clipped by the band and was killed near my work. 3) RAIL POLICE DO NOT GET CAUGHT by them they will lock you up to set an example!! Just run like hell !!!!!!! BUT these guys on here are right, if you have other places to ride take advantage.
Posted by: DavidLT250S
i ride along side of tracks somtimes because there is a trail there and i still get nervous not the best idea to ride on the tracks but hey what ever floats your boat
Posted by: Grizzman42
at the place that i ride here there is one part were u have to cross a train track in order to get to the other trails... CROSS not RIDE. my grizzly has plenty of ground clearence to get over it with no problem. o yea one more thing i forgot to mention.... its an abandoned train track and never used, haha. i think its extremely stupid to ride on train tracks aspecially wen u have no way to get off of it in certain areas.
Posted by: CaRider67
There's one spot where the tracks split off into a lumber yard and getting over that was next to impossible.
Anyone have any tips or experiences, good or bad with traveling down the train tracks?
PS I know it's illegal but lets face it, most riding spots are illegal in MA!
>>>>>>>>>>
I worked with a woman who had to be notified at work by the sheriffs dept. her son had been struck by a train and killed.....WTF could you POSSIBLY be thinking for crying out loud?
Posted by: CaRider67
Alright alright already! You guys confirmed my bad vibes!!! I'll stay off of them>>>>
Good! Ever see that show where they show and interview train conductors who have witnessed some of these collisions? People have to remember that by the time the train conductor actually sees someone on the track it's probably too late to fully stop.....depending on speed and number of cars it can take a long time to fully stop a train.
On the flipside, the abandoned lines where they have removed the rails are awsome places to ride if you can find one.
Posted by: CaRider67
Did she cry?
>>>>>>>>>
What kind of retarded question is that? Yeah, she cried....her husband was killed six months prior to her oldest son getting killed by a train, it's a miracle she is still sane.
Posted by: CaRider67
Look I'm not trying to be the bad boy BUT I ride the tracks all the time. Only acouple rules 1) >>>>>>
Rule #1, fix the hole in your brain.
Posted by: Maxter
Just a thought for all who ride active rail lines.........Your chance of winning a Darwin Award is pretty good.
Posted by: powerismygame
i ride train trax, but they were removed in 1968. i ride them for miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiles.
but i did get in a accident with a yz426. he hit me going about 70mph... and that messed up my quad. i dont wanna think about a train.
Posted by: TrikeMan05
I personally used to ride the tracks a lot. Some of our awesome riding spots are about 1/2 mile down. But I have plenty of woods to have fun without those spots. BUT, I don't ride them anymore. It is dangerous. But with these tracks the train doesnt go over 20mph tops and you should atleast be smart enough to shut off the machine and listen for a few minutes. Also, this train doesnt run on sundays. So if I was to ride on them I would go out sunday. BTW, What town are you located in Butzla? I'm in Clinton.
Posted by: TrikeMan05
Wow small world huh. Yeah I'm pretty sure there the same tracks. The ones that go by the Agway grain store. I used to ride behind Woodruff road (high bridge area) until they built all the new houses. I also used to ride at the Aquaducts in Berlin next to the Train stop restaurant. Nice riding and fishing back there. Now I just ride in my woods. Pretty nice woods. I would say theres a good 150+ acres back there. I'm looking for a cheap Quadsport 230 or a 3wheeler of some sort to make some more trails. Need to pick up the wantad tomorrow and I hope I find something cheap.
Posted by: UTU
Riding on or near ANY railroad tracks would be insane. Seen too many results of this happening. Just had a woman/mother get killed on a 4-wheeler. Riding over the bridge when there was a trail under the bridge! Had 2 kids and a husband, she was 34 years old. Terrible for her family,terrible for the train crew to watch and live with. Takes a mile and half to stop a loaded/empty train. Think about it. We CANNOT stop once we see you, in time. Not easy to live,sleep with these memories!
ps: Riding on the right of way is the same,think about it? High-wide loads, Straps,chains used to secure loads that have broke/came loose dragging the ground!
PSS: Its ALL illegal
Posted by: UTU
Quote
Originally posted by: tencubed
Quote
Originally posted by: UTU
Riding on or near ANY railroad tracks would be insane. Seen too many results of this happening. Just had a woman/mother get killed on a 4-wheeler. Riding over the bridge when there was a trail under the bridge! Had 2 kids and a husband, she was 34 years old. Terrible for her family,terrible for the train crew to watch and live with. Takes a mile and half to stop a loaded/empty train. Think about it. We CANNOT stop once we see you, in time. Not easy to live,sleep with these memories!
ps: Riding on the right of way is the same,think about it? High-wide loads, Straps,chains used to secure loads that have broke/came loose dragging the ground!
PSS: Its ALL illegal
UTU knows what he is talking about. A number of years ago I investigated a death along a RR track. The man that died was working for the RR and had been standing near the main line while his train was on a side line. He had his back to the main line and was talking with a co-worker when the train they had stopped for came by. Unfortunatly a piece of heavy steel had come loose on a flat car and was protruding out about five feet. This piece of steel struck the deceased in the back of the head throwing his body along the mainline about 30 feet. He left a widow and one small child. This steel would have been just the right height to take out an ATV'r setting along the line.
Not nice stuff to write about or remember but anyone that thinks they can tempt this kind of danger and always survive is just flat wrong. If you must ride along train tracks I would suggest you be sure to keep a recent picture of yourself for your survivors to display at your funeral because any train related death I ever saw ended with a closed casket.
Just remember places to ride are few and far between. There are more places opening up and as LONG as responsible riders out there more will open up. Railroad tracks are,never have,never will be a safe place to ride! Just be responsible! Ride safe!!
Posted by: James1701
Depending on your local law, trains travel anywhere from 12 to 60 mph. Even if you ditched yourself on the side of the tracks, you can still get sucked under when the train passes by, depending on how fast it is going. And trust me, the train would not even feel a bump if you got under it.
Posted by: Augie
Might as well add my two cents as well. My thought on train tracks was always to steer clear of them no matter what I'm doing. So I wounldn't even consider riding on the train tracks, in addition to being dangerous and illegal, it is also trespassing on RR right of way.
I do have to say that the exception would be abandoned RR beds without any tracks or ties left, as long as they are ATV trails in their afterlife.
Posted by: Augie
Quote
Originally posted by: butzla
Did she cry?
Talk about insensitive.
Posted by: Augie
Quote
Originally posted by: SkoolBoy
If your neighbor hood and if your train is on a schedule i dont see whats wrong with it..theres a train by my sisters house that comes twice a day same exact time every day...but since its dangerous to ride on tracks, might as well not go up the next hill you come to in the woods..way too dangerous..and dont goto that pay park either because there way to populated and someone might come around a corner at 30+ and hit ya...way to dangerous...im not being immature guys but lets face it, ur wreck,get hurt or seriously injured more on the trails than u will anywhere else....this isnt the safest hobby/sport...all in all dont ride on the track if you know nothing bout it, but if u do and if its some awesome riding that you cant live without than just b careful....
im sure ill get flammed, but seriously im not trying to be stupid or immature..just throwing in the best part of forums, and thats .02
Danger aside, what about the part that it is 110% tresspassing on RR right of way, which could get your bike confiscated, and land you with one big fine.
Now on the danger side, you have a chance of surviving getting hit by someone coming around the next corner at 30+, but your chance of surviving a train hit is slim to zero.
Posted by: Augie
Quote
Originally posted by: Starky
What a thread. Ya, riding on the train tracks is stupid and illegal so don't do it.
Unfortunately, we do stupid things all the time. Sometimes we get away with it and sometimes we don't. I could tell you stories of riding on the tracks but I think I'll take the mature route and just say it wasn't worth the thrill and excitement or the time we saved getting home.
But on the other hand, I know for a fact that there is at least one of you do gooders that think nothing of drinking a 6-pack of beer on a 3 hour trail ride.
In the words of Forrest Gump's momma, "stupid is as stupid does".
Only a 6 pack? In Wisconsin a 6 pack is just getting warmed up for most people. However, I am of the mind set that if you are going to be driving anything, don't drink. It isn't worth it. My father is a EMT and I have been with him to help "clean up" the result of driving something drunk. One call, they gave me a bag and some gloves and told me to go look for missing pieces. Experiences like that tend to stick with you, and shape the decisions that you make. This particular call was a sports car that came flying over a hill into a blind intersection and ended up going underneith the back half of a semi trailer and getting squished. Not a pretty sight. I can just imagine what a train would do to a ATV
Posted by: butzla
Just picked myself up my first ATV...05 Polaris Sportsman 800. Not bad for a first machine I might say so.
I live right on some freight tracks. A train of no more than 12 cars goes up and back each day at no specific time. Usually only during the weekdays too. I figured this will be a great means of taking me virtually anywhere I want to go without having to trailer my rig. However the other night I decided to venture out on them and thought it was pretty unnerving. Never knowing if and when a train is coming and I could only go comfortably about 15 mph. I know the trains go faster than that. Getting on them at about a 60 degree angle was no problem but getting off them was another thing. I found I had to stop, put it in low, try to get over the rails cleanly without scraping my rims. I'm sure if a train was coming I would be a little more aggressive on the throttle! Even if I do get over quickly, there are many areas where there are wet drainage ditches on either side. More like small streams. I'd have to put myself in the ditch in an emergency. There's one spot where the tracks split off into a lumber yard and getting over that was next to impossible.
Anyone have any tips or experiences, good or bad with traveling down the train tracks?
PS I know it's illegal but lets face it, most riding spots are illegal in MA!
Posted by: butzla
Alright alright already! You guys confirmed my bad vibes!!! I'll stay off of them. Now if I could just figure out a way to drive down the highway that's in front of my house!
Posted by: butzla
Quote
I worked with a woman who had to be notified at work by the sheriffs dept. her son had been struck by a train and killed.....WTF could you POSSIBLY be thinking for crying out loud?
Did she cry?
Posted by: butzla
Thanks Darren....refreshing to get some constructive criticism without any barbs. Keep the rubberside down!
Posted by: butzla
Quote
Originally posted by: TrikeMan05
I personally used to ride the tracks a lot. Some of our awesome riding spots are about 1/2 mile down. But I have plenty of woods to have fun without those spots. BUT, I don't ride them anymore. It is dangerous. But with these tracks the train doesnt go over 20mph tops and you should atleast be smart enough to shut off the machine and listen for a few minutes. Also, this train doesnt run on sundays. So if I was to ride on them I would go out sunday. BTW, What town are you located in Butzla? I'm in Clinton.
Dude I live in Lancaster. It's probably the same tracks....the Conrail ones that go up to Fitchburg, crossing over 62 in Lancaster. What woods do you trek into? I bought my rig to do some plowing and lets the kids putz around the yard, but now that I've seen it's speed, power and comfort, I'm looking for more ways to recreate on it.
Posted by: butzla
Quote
Need to pick up the wantad tomorrow and I hope I find something cheap.
I found mine in the T&G of all places but believe it or not, Ebay had some good deals. Good luck!
Posted by: bigred225
it takes a train goin 55 mph over a mile to stop imagine if u got hit that would be the longest mile of your life (probably the last one too)
Posted by: bigred225
a penny can de rail a train yes because there are certian vibarations almost like frequency waves if u set a penny in the right spot it will mess up those vibrations and possibly de-rail a train and they also ight fly out going faster thana bullet there are actual reports of this happening
