Anyone up for a battery operated adventure?
Anybody done this sort of thing?
Bill;
Had a work mate who grew up in central Pennsylvania. The shortline railroads there did not run on Sundays. This fellow and his friends would take one of their cars to a grade crossing on a Sunday, and maneuver it until the tires were on the rails. After a small amount of air was let out of each tire, the car could be driven for miles on the track, just so long as nobody attempted to move the steering wheel. Kinda’ gives a new twist to the term “Sunday drive.”
Regards, David Meashey
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Not this exactly, but I was VERY interested in buying an old speeder and going on trips with NARCOA, but I had a pretty toxic conversation with whoever the contact was, and it turned me off of them 1000%. But tooling around on one of these sounds cool.
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There are several videos on YT of speeders - some homemade with mower gas engines. Exploring old RR is easier out West, I guess.
I am surprised he didn’t plan better for the obvious problems, like getting stuck, or derailing. Having a friend with you is much safer.
I love the idea of setting of railway crossing bells on abandoned lines in small towns.
The Ghan, once known as the Central Australia Railway, ran from Port Augusta to Alice Springs, traversing the harsh and remote outback of South Australia.
I grew up with the tale of a group that took a hand powered gandy dancer after the line was abandoned and before the rail was pulled up. Who knows if it is just an urban legend. I can’t find any first or second hand reports.
And Australian explorers do have a history of needing to be rescued… sigh.
I did come across this though…
Always wanted to have one of these, no major investment required.
The second half of the video is interesting also but not train related.
That’s quite impressive. I want to do this too.
The guys who own those speeders join clubs who make formal arrangements to ‘use’ the tracks. They turn up with their speeders on trailers, roll them onto the rails, and set off in a big convoy. Plenty on Youtube.
Folks;
Back when I worked for N&W Ry, Railway Age carried an ad for a ten-speed bike with an outrigger wheel to reach the opposite rail, plus small-flanged wheels fore and aft of the bicycle wheels. Always thought it would be fun to ride one of those bikes along the track. It was an updated and lighter version of the velocipede rail vehicle.
Regards, David Meashey
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Amazing Peter. The insurance and paperwork must be significant to run these on an operating line.
I don’t think so. If the RR is not running real trains, I doubt insurance would be a problem. If you can get insurance for your ‘toy’ speeder, of course!