Recycling Killed my Dream

[D.J.]

The railway track that I have lived beside for 20 years has been getting less and less traffic . The local grain elevator closed a few years ago and the railway announced that they would be abandoning the line . The rails extended about 150 miles past the little town that I live in . My thoughts went to building a powered line cruiser now that there was going to be no traffic . I had been researching wheel shapes and placement in the pictures of old line inspectors bikes . When I discovered motorized bikes I thought that this was the way to go .

The next thing that I saw was the tracks being pulled up and hauled away . The ties went next and were sold off to landscapers . They finally got around to the mound that the tracks were placed on . The gravel was valuable enough to scrape it to the bare prairie soil underneath . The line still exists going the other way , towards the provincial capital about 15 miles away . We got lucky there . The track has been taken over by an antique railway organization with its star being an 1882 locomotive that is a thing of beauty . Its final destination is my town and I get to see the antique train and its period cars weekly . The sound of its whistle rattles my windows and brings a smile to my face . I guess that I lost some and gained some . ...D.J.

This is a narrow gauge bike that was used in the mines .

[paul]

i imagine that does bring a smile when she blows. absolutely beautiful. the narrow gage bike would be some fun with a bicycle motor on it

[Bikeguy Joe]

Nice, different photos.

[Ilikeabikea]

Now that bike would be bad to the bone with motor on it. I know I would hate to pedal that thing............

[Egor]

They used to make a kit for a bike to ride the rails. I bet if you Google it you could replicate one for a standard bike with a motor. You would be surprised at how little effort is would take to pedal that thing. There is no friction on a steel wheel. Have fun, Dave