MTtrashdigger
Elite Member
removed
Last edited:
Thread removed
- Thread starter MTtrashdigger
- Start date
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,728
Great pictures !
And .... ironically ... you were walking all around there, to take those pictures. Doh !
When I was a kid, we walked along side RR tracks, and crossed over them on our shortcut to school . (and made smashed pennies, etc...). Gasp, I didn't realize we could have been prosecuted to the "fullest extent".
If I was you, I'd just hit them. You're certainly welcome to knock yourself silly to get some corporate official, 3 states away, to give you a "yes". But odds are, your request would go un-answered, or they'd give you the obligatory safe "no".
And .... ironically ... you were walking all around there, to take those pictures. Doh !
When I was a kid, we walked along side RR tracks, and crossed over them on our shortcut to school . (and made smashed pennies, etc...). Gasp, I didn't realize we could have been prosecuted to the "fullest extent".
If I was you, I'd just hit them. You're certainly welcome to knock yourself silly to get some corporate official, 3 states away, to give you a "yes". But odds are, your request would go un-answered, or they'd give you the obligatory safe "no".
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,728
And let's see if my prediction comes true : Considering that you're on a forum where some people think you need permission to hunt park sandboxes, you will no doubt fetch dire sounding answers. And ... ironically ... none of them will catch the irony that you were walking all around there (aka "trespassing") to take those pictures. Yet the rationale will be, that md'ing is different. Because it amounts to "stealing" and all sorts of evil mayhem.
I doubt you could find any RR official to care one iota about a mercury or barber dime. But .... sure .... technically it belongs to them.
This is one of those "does anyone REALLY care" sort of questions, rather than a "technically can I do it" question. Because if it's "... technically..." then sure: Don't do it (and don't jaywalk or spit on sidewalks either) . But if you meant "realistically", then .... just do it.
I doubt you could find any RR official to care one iota about a mercury or barber dime. But .... sure .... technically it belongs to them.
This is one of those "does anyone REALLY care" sort of questions, rather than a "technically can I do it" question. Because if it's "... technically..." then sure: Don't do it (and don't jaywalk or spit on sidewalks either) . But if you meant "realistically", then .... just do it.
MTtrashdigger
Elite Member
Great pictures !
And .... ironically ... you were walking all around there, to take those pictures. Doh !
When I was a kid, we walked along side RR tracks, and crossed over them on our shortcut to school . (and made smashed pennies, etc...). Gasp, I didn't realize we could have been prosecuted to the "fullest extent".
If I was you, I'd just hit them. You're certainly welcome to knock yourself silly to get some corporate official, 3 states away, to give you a "yes". But odds are, your request would go un-answered, or they'd give you the obligatory safe "no".
I also walked along the RR tracks when I was a kid, there was pretty busy line that ran right behind my grandmothers house. We carried guns and hunted pheasants and rabbits in the right of way all the way up to Sep. 11, 2001, and waved to the conductors as they rumbled by us. Then everything changed. Too many people are sue happy or scared to death someone else's stupidity or evil intentions will cost them money or worse. And you are right- I did trespass for about 5 minutes to take these pictures. Not sure I want to spend the day there without some sort of even semi official affirmation.
MTtrashdigger
Elite Member
I agree, the RRs dont give a hoot about what trinket or coin might be buried in the ground along their tracks. They do however, have very legitimate concerns about some dumbass with headphones on walking along the tracks and getting plowed into a pink froth by one of their locomotives. Not so much where I live ,but in more populated areas where people are still the cargo in the train cars, they are very concerned about terrorism as well. Hence the strict rules around unauthorized people near the tracks.
Stiffwrists
Elite Member
I'd detect it. Cool site and pictures.
Just do it early in the morning on a Sunday and be alert, and dont stray to close to the tracks or, find the actual train property boundry and stay outside of it.
If you could find the train schedule that would be a plus so you can avoid attention.
If you could find the train schedule that would be a plus so you can avoid attention.
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,728
And trust me: kids still walk along the RR tracks, make flattened pennies, still carry guns to hunt rabbits, etc.... Durned all them young rascals for not contacting the RR for permission !
GroundSweeper
Forum Supporter
I’d hit that 
The tall grass is going to slow you down some maybe.
The tall grass is going to slow you down some maybe.
HistoryHippy
Senior Member
I work on the railroad. Here is the official stance you will be trespassing. They do not give permission for anyone for anything period end of story don't even try to ask.
But what I see from your pictures have at it as long as your not on or close to the tracks. I would Md it because it looks like an old station but it is probably a frieght house and cattle loading stop. Probably all three.
Don't try to scap anything railroad like spikes, tie plates, wire, rail, etc. It's illegal and the scap yards look for it.
Be safe and have fun.
But what I see from your pictures have at it as long as your not on or close to the tracks. I would Md it because it looks like an old station but it is probably a frieght house and cattle loading stop. Probably all three.
Don't try to scap anything railroad like spikes, tie plates, wire, rail, etc. It's illegal and the scap yards look for it.
Be safe and have fun.
amc rulz
Forum Supporter
When I was a kid back I the 70’s heck we’d walk the tracks looking for insulators and Thomas Edison electric battery oil bottles. Later, working my truck down the right of way trapping muskrats. Yep, conductor would wave.
I wouldn’t try it nowadays.
I wouldn’t try it nowadays.
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,728
History-hippy, your answer (from a RR employee, no less) is oh-so-classic of the difference between "technical" vs "realistic" version of the answer to these type questions.
On the one hand, you say the technical answer :
Yet on the other hand, you give the realistic answer :
On the one hand, you say the technical answer :
Yet on the other hand, you give the realistic answer :
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,728
I bet that ... nowadays .... kids still walk the tracks looking for insulators and un-burnt flares, etc... And still trap muskrats, and the conductor still waves.
And... heck .... even people who might (gasp) walk along the RR track to take photographs.
Durned all them miscreants !
HistoryHippy
Senior Member
Well Tom being out there every day I see people all the time. We have to call in on "tresspassers". I dont call unless I see really stupid people doing really stupid things. Like walking or sitting on the tracks. I personally have turned a couple into human hamburger. Someone far enough away not to be harmed its ok with me. Maybe not for railroad police or supervisors.
I could tell you stories. People using bridges as fishing piers and they get killed. Druggies sitting on the rail. Suicides all the time. Kids using railcars as jungle gyms. Railroad employees stabbed and beaten for their pocket change.
I would Md that particular area it's away from the tracks and by the photos looks like its in the middle of nowhere.
I could tell you stories. People using bridges as fishing piers and they get killed. Druggies sitting on the rail. Suicides all the time. Kids using railcars as jungle gyms. Railroad employees stabbed and beaten for their pocket change.
I would Md that particular area it's away from the tracks and by the photos looks like its in the middle of nowhere.
kingman mikey
Elite Member
Those ruins could have been a stopping or railroad station, there is no problem in detecting these sites as long as you stay clear of the tracks. I detect these areas often & when the trains roll by I wave to the engineer & he usually blows the horns. These sites offer alot of interesting finds, besides lots of spikes there are dated nails, railroad keys, boxcar seals, locks etc. I have found a Chinese coin at one site, so go ahead & detect it, if someone tells you to leave I would ask for his I.D. Chances are you wont have a problem.
kingman mikey
Elite Member
Ps, you may want to bring a weed wacker
amc rulz
Forum Supporter
i hear you Tom, but as youngsters, some of us got away with stuff that today as an adult we’d be prosecuted for.I bet that ... nowadays .... kids still walk the tracks looking for insulators and un-burnt flares, etc... And still trap muskrats, and the conductor still waves.
And... heck .... even people who might (gasp) walk along the RR track to take photographs.
Durned all them miscreants !
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,728
i hear you Tom, but as youngsters, some of us got away with stuff that today as an adult we’d be prosecuted for.
Maybe I haven't put a penny on the RR tracks, or searched for un-burnt flares or insulators for 45-ish years. But .... I still doubt that someone ... today... is going to get "prosecuted for it". A scram at best.
Again, this is one of those "technical" vs "realistic" type of questions. Ie.: "technically" .... sure ... you can be "prosecuted" for (gasp) walking, or md'ing in the RR right of way. (so too can you "technically" be "prosecuted" for jay-walking ). Yet ... .realistically .... you are going to have a hard time finding ANY incidents of anyone being "prosecuted " for md'ing, fishing, walking, etc... along RR tracks. Unless they were some sort of nuisance, stealing RR recycle metal, or putting up a permanent tent to homestead there, etc....
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,728
On a semi-related note: The term "right of way" has come up several times on this thread. So .... just in case that's not clear : The distance, from the RR tracks, out into the surrounding landscape, that belongs to the RR (ie.: the "right-of-way") can actually be surprisingly large.
Esp. in places like out in the deserts, and middle-of-nowhere type locations. Because way back-in-the-day, when the Govt. made enticements for the RR to extend tracks across America, the titles to lands given-for-the-routes, were very generous. Eg.: Not narrow ribbons of land *just* wide enough to make RR tracks on. But .... sometimes hundreds of yards wide ! So that there'd be room for RR stations, platforms, water-towers, etc....
And the RR recouped its building costs often-time, by simply selling some of the land, after the RR was finished being built . Eg.: to persons wanting to "throw out their shingle" to build nearer to the tracks, etc...
Thus, to this day, in some remote areas (deserts of CA, for example), the zones of land surrounding the RR tracks in the "middle of nowhere", extend way-far-out from the actual tracks.
Esp. in places like out in the deserts, and middle-of-nowhere type locations. Because way back-in-the-day, when the Govt. made enticements for the RR to extend tracks across America, the titles to lands given-for-the-routes, were very generous. Eg.: Not narrow ribbons of land *just* wide enough to make RR tracks on. But .... sometimes hundreds of yards wide ! So that there'd be room for RR stations, platforms, water-towers, etc....
And the RR recouped its building costs often-time, by simply selling some of the land, after the RR was finished being built . Eg.: to persons wanting to "throw out their shingle" to build nearer to the tracks, etc...
Thus, to this day, in some remote areas (deserts of CA, for example), the zones of land surrounding the RR tracks in the "middle of nowhere", extend way-far-out from the actual tracks.
