Railroad bike

GoldenMotor.com

Kevlarr

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Jul 22, 2009
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Mi
Now let me start by saying I in no way think anyone should mess around on an active railroad but I remember an old Popular Mechanics (I think) article where a guy built a bicycle for riding on the abandoned railroad spurs around his area. He pretty much put rail followers on the bike and an outrigger with a small roller for the other rail.

Could you imagine a setup like that with a motor! Unfortunately all the abandoned lines around here were taken up when the price of steel shot up years ago and were made into walking trails.

Cool, there seems to be a lot of people still doing it.

YouTube - Rail Rider rail bike
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
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Moosylvania
I been wanting to do that since I was 15! Well, using a gocart. In citys with unused railways, would be awesome. (and 2 lane! lol)

As a kid, I had a job "down the tracks" and would hop trains 2ce a week to get there. If the train was not running that day, I had to walk. I was gonna build it using small car hubs. Just another project I never got around 2.

Nice find Kev, thanx
 
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mountain80

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Aug 8, 2008
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I am part way into a rail bike conversion for my mb. The front has a swingarm that you can swing up out of the way and the outrigger will be made of aluminum tubing that when finished slides together and along with the outboard wheel will bungie on to the rear rack so i can ride away on the road. I have 60 miles of abandoned track to use. will post pics as i get the mparts machined and fabbed.
 

Dan

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May 25, 2008
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I am part way into a rail bike conversion for my mb. The front has a swingarm that you can swing up out of the way and the outrigger will be made of aluminum tubing that when finished slides together and along with the outboard wheel will bungie on to the rear rack so i can ride away on the road. I have 60 miles of abandoned track to use. will post pics as i get the mparts machined and fabbed.

Oh man! 2 Kool! Really lookin' forward to seeing your pics. Local tracks in town here, might see a train 3 times a yr!

Dangit! you guys know how many crazy projects you got me laying awake at night thinking about!? lol
 

bandito

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May 22, 2009
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When I was a kid we used to see how far anyone could go riding their bike on 1 track. Most of the time if we made it a block we were doing pretty good considering our state of mind. My little honda CT70 had wider tires than the dirt bikes so I had an advantage on them. If a train was coming wed have plenty of notice, the danger was in falling over on the rocks in the rail road bed scraping you and your bike up.
 

Kevlarr

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Jul 22, 2009
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When I was a kid the access road along the tracks was where everyone in the neighborhood rode their mini-bikes, dirt bikes and snowmobiles. The hard part was walking the bikes the 4 blocks to the tracks because the cops seemed to like cruising my block.
Thinking back that was how I got my first ticket at 14, operating a motor vehicle without a license, riding my dirt bike back on the street from riding along the tracks laff
 

Dan

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May 25, 2008
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A bunch of us "stole" a box car one day, skipping school. Was 13 of us and East Hartford is just a wee bit higher then Hartford. So we humped this box car down hill about a mile, until the upgrade. The car was full of breakfast cereal. Next day, every single Mom in the neighborhood had a case and I was living in an abandoned car. Eat well for a good long time. (and the Moms stopped yelling about folks feeding and letting me shower)

Kids, don't try this at home. The statute of limitations has run out fer me, not so much for you. Snork
 

xlite

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Jun 18, 2009
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A friend of mine has built a few and put an HT on one. Due to brush and trees abandoned rails are life threatening so he rides on active rails which has it's own set of drawbacks. :eek:
 

msrfan

Well-Known Member
Sep 17, 2010
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Southern California
I hope nobody thinks it's a new idea. This add is from a 1902 Sears catalog. Stating it's popularity with telegraph and other delivery people. Made by Harris Company and sold for $8.50. In the 1908 Sears catalog it sold for $5.45and had an add on front and rear swing down wheel for $7.70 for maintaining higher speeds.