Anybody know much about Rails to Trails?

jeffreythree · May 20, 2008, 07:31:46 PM

I was wondering if anybody here has had any dealings with the Rails to Trails organization or owns property next to one of their trails. I am signing soon on a piece of property next to a Rails to Trails railroad right of way that has not been converted to a trail yet. I tried contacting them, but all it got me was a monthly newsletter email. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I am glad I insisted on a new survey, knocked off 1 acre from what the previous owner thought. He "forgot" he had donated a 100' strip to a foundation set up to support Rails to Trails locally.

ohsoloco · May 20, 2008, 07:38:19 PM

There's a few around here, but I don't know much about them....c'ept they're trying to take some back :-\

Trails to Rails

Dave Shepard · May 20, 2008, 07:41:32 PM

I think we need to have a trails to rails program. Pedal faster, that horns attached to a locomotive. ;D

Dave

jeffreythree · May 20, 2008, 07:56:39 PM

On their website they say they only leased some of the rails, so I am sure some of the rail companies are kicking themselves for stripping up all the rail now that diesel is so expensive for trucking companies. I asked them if the rail near me is leased or purchased and got no response. My realtor has got a city manager, the surveyor, a chamber of commerce president, and the seller's realtor trying to find out whether they own it or lease it. The price would need to come down a whole lot if I am going to have the risk of it being rebuilt. A bicycle is a whole lot quieter than a train.

Dave Shepard · May 20, 2008, 08:01:06 PM

Yeah, you would definately want to know that. You wouldn't think it wouild be so hard to pin someone down on that point.

Welcome to the Forum!

Dave

Corley5 · May 20, 2008, 08:50:27 PM

A lot of em up here are non motorized use until Dec 1 and then they're designated snowmobile trails. I'd rather have a train go by now and then than a steady stream of piped sleds with drunk operators. You shouldn't have that problem in TX :D ;D

Dave Shepard · May 20, 2008, 09:15:49 PM

There is an abandoned rail trail near me that the snowmobile group had maintained for many years. A couple of cross country skiers got upset about sharing the trail, and it has now been taken over by bikers and skiers, and sleds are forbidden. >:( >:( >:(

Dave

ohsoloco · May 20, 2008, 10:16:37 PM

'Round here the Rails to Trails program is used for ATV's

SwingOak · May 20, 2008, 10:28:18 PM

There are a lot of those in NJ. Old rail beds are pulled out and converted into walking/bike trails. They are very popular. Depending on how well populated your area is, you can expect quite a bit a foot and bicycle traffic in the summer. It's illegal to operate motorized vehicles on the trails in NJ.

jeffreythree · May 20, 2008, 11:07:02 PM

One thing I did manage to find out was they set up a local organization to purchase/donate/take 50' on either side of the rail to create a brush/forest buffer zone. They require that it not have any utilities in it. A few local towns here balked at the utility restriction and refused to support the local organization and could prevent the taking of their property. No buffer zone, no improved trail. It is just used as an ATV and dirt bike trail across the county road. On my side, an old rail bridge is 2' above grade and to hard to mess with unless you're walking. It is in Red River county, the largest(1057 square miles) in northeast Texas and only 14 people per square mile.

Ron Wenrich · May 21, 2008, 05:56:36 AM

When I first moved into my place, the tracks next to me were active tracks. We had a train come through every Saturday morning. They hauled about 7 carloads of coal from one of the mines.

They tore them out about 20 years ago. The condition of the rails were in pretty bad shape. Then came the dirt bikes. They made a lot more noise and kicked up a lot more dust than the trains. And they weren't content to run just the tracks. They had to make jumps and caused major erosion on some of the banks next to the tracks. Then they started coming through my yard. I took some extra measures to stop that.

They eventually sold the tracks to some of the neighboring properties. I wasn't asked. The one owner thought it was a great place to start a dump. They dumped right into the little swamp that was next to it. They buried cars and appliances. Then they started to bring in things like shingles and they would burn them. Guess who had to put up with the smoke. We had to call DNR in and they were given the choice of either stopping it or face a $1,000/day fine.

Then there was the time that they brought in the Cuban boat people and put them at the nearby National Guard barracks. They used those old train tracks as a means of going from PA to God knows where. The only time we locked our doors.

All in all, I think I'd rather have the trains.

TexasTimbers · May 21, 2008, 07:27:48 AM

Hiya Jeffrey. Welcome to the forum. Get that mill out of your living room and make some sawdust! :D

SamB · May 21, 2008, 09:19:53 AM

If they ,"Rails to Trails", are seeking matching funds to develope the trail. The type of usage and who enforces the rules should be predetermined. Where I'm located the success stories on rails to trails have been when the trails are upgraded from whats left when they pull the rails and the connecting communities support the trail concept. If there's no upgrading of the rail bed and there's no community support it seems to become free range.

MemphisLogger · May 21, 2008, 09:48:44 AM

we have a really nice one in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood association bought the easement outright and we got a grant for a small tractor to do the mowing. Since we have planted a wide variety of native trees and its now an official state arboretum.

beenthere · May 21, 2008, 11:22:15 AM

We have some older "trails from rails" and a couple observations:

** There is not enough maintenance to keep the brush down, and the trails (after just 20 years) are overgrown with brush and weed trees that form just a closed-in tunnel to ride through. Get a bit claustrophobic, and the human predators find it all too convenient to lay in wait for an easy victim to victimize.
These trails will be very expensive to maintain using tax dollars, as the users apparently don't seem to have any volunteer spirit or ambition....saving energy to ride

.

** The need to establish new utility lines for power distribution along the trails is fought tooth and nail, as suddenly the trails are now sacred to the few who ride them....but to me, seems like a natural corridor to put the power lines and utilities (the trails would at least be maintained then), as land for new corridors is not available.

** More fights are visible in the future when the rails will need to be re-built to transport goods more economically than trucking...but at least the grades will be already there.

Handy Andy · May 21, 2008, 11:12:19 PM

There was a rail line right through the middle of my farm. When they took out the rails, a trail group from KC signed it up with the county. The same group signed all the way across Kansas. We formed a group of landowners to fight the trail. Found out it was a foundation set up by the Railroad company so they wouldn't have to take out the bridges. One of our group finally got hold of the attorney , head of the foundation on the phone, asked him what his intentions were, got a cussing, and the guy called the county and dropped the trail. The railroad had to have the bridges, poles and wire removed. We now have a mess. I've been scraping up gravel for several years, and plan someday to get the thing leveled off so I can farm it. Will be a lot more expensive than buyiing a equal number of acres, but will clean up a weed patch a mile long. Jim

Warbird · May 22, 2008, 01:04:00 AM

I could use that gravel up here in Alaska, if'n ya wanna ship it up. ;)
Sounds like it was quite the stressful mess. Hope you can get 'er cleaned up.

TexasTimbers · May 22, 2008, 08:08:05 AM

Quote from: beenthere on May 21, 2008, 11:22:15 AM

** More fights are visible in the future when the rails will need to be re-built to transport goods more economically than trucking...but at least the grades will be already there.

We have had - I don't know what it is - but some very large percentage, of rails closed over the past couple decades. Everytime I drive over a paved-over rail section where once a crossing used to be I have the very thought you just voiced.

I believe like you bt that with fuel costs going where they are, there is going to be another opportunity for the private sector to make rail distribution profitable again. It makes me sad to see our once mighty rail system reduced toa shambles. It followed the decline of our manufacturing capacity. I suppose there are many other factors at play but I don't know what they are.