Cheap way to ride the rails

wheelbender6

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
I came across this on a human powered vehicle site.
This kind of resourcefulness improves my outlook on life dramatically.
Hurricanes badly damaged our trolley system on Galveston Island, so we have a lot of unused rail that runs right through the Strand and other popular areas.
http://www.koreus.com/video/palette-rails-tramway.html#
pallets-on-rails.jpg
 
I'm not sure I understand. He's not just sliding that pallet along the rails, is he?

I suppose not. Maybe he mounted rollers on the underside. In either case, it's a good idea. Skateboarding on the rails.

Imagine if bicycle infrastructure could be adapted to rails. Think of the smooth ride! It'd be great.
 
I certainly don't want to carry a pallet around with me, but I could come up with something lighter, more portable and more visually appealing.
 
I was looking at the rail bicycle and wondering if it could be trusted to stay on the rails. And I read the article and, sure enough, the poor guy had a derailment. Ruined his bike, too.

I gotta give him credit, of course, for a pretty neat idea. But it's not too practical. A road to nowhere. Or, if he chose to ride on roads once he reached the end of the line, then he'd need to carry that outrigger around with him. It'd be just about as much hassle as carrying a pallet around.
 
bluegoatwoods said:
A road to nowhere.
Click to expand...
I've seen/read several articles about bikes on railroad tracks. Apparently there are hundreds of miles of unused and abandoned tracks around the country. These guys can ride for miles with no traffic to bother them. The tracks connect small towns and go places you'd never be able to get to by bike otherwise. There are several youtube vids out there about it.
Actually sounds kind of fun to me.

Tom
 
I would probably maybe might give it a try, but it would surely be in violation of private property rights and as such the law so we encourage everyone to check first before discovering what the consequences may be...
Yah yah
stick in the mud
the rr's do take themselves very seriously though.
best
rc
 
rustycase said:
I would probably maybe might give it a try, but it would surely be in violation of private property rights and as such the law so we encourage everyone to check first before discovering what the consequences may be...
Yah yah
stick in the mud
the rr's do take themselves very seriously though.
best
rc
Click to expand...
You are absolutely correct. Railroads, particularly post 9-11 are very squemish about trespassing on their property.

The videos I watched mentioned that they had either recieved permission from the RRs or they knew for a fact that the tracks were abaondoned on state or federal land and access to them was legal. Thanks for mentioning that RC.

Tom
 
No details, it's off Pinterest, where gumps just post things with no explanation of the who, what, why.

Sidecar-97.jpg
 
Fess up Lud, that's how you travel to your pub gigs, and even a side seat for a star struck groupie to ride home with you, you devil, you. Hope you wear a helmet.

Dan
 
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