What's the Worst That Could Happen?

[Liquidsilver]

I have a WR450 and a secluded place to ride... where I own acreage.  
 
Here's the question: Everytime I take the bike down there, I pass an abandoned rail line (closed about 10 years ago) that goes off into the middle of nowhere.   There used to be lead mines in the area, but it's a very remote, secluded area in the Ozarks.  
 
For years now, I've dreamed of sneaking my WR over to the abandoned tracks, putting the bike between the rails and going to see where they go.   I don't know why I want to do this so bad, but I'm thinking there'll be some awesome old forgotten hills and valleys to see.
 
I've heard of strict trespassing laws around railroad tracks... but since this line is closed, wouldn't it be very unlikely that anyone would care?   What's the worst that could happen?
 
 

[greench440]

You get the crap shook out of your insides from riding on the railroad ties.    Try riding on the rail bed next to the ties when possible. If the tops of the rails are rusty, it's been a while since a train last passed through.  Go for it.

[speedjunkie]

+1!!  We ride abandoned RR tracks around here all the time.  It's better than riding the roads if you can.  Only problem we run into is alot of the bridges have been demolished, and sometimes farmers fence across the RR right of way.  Not real sure why they feel it belongs to them, I'm pretty sure it doesn't.  Have fun!


Mike

[Liquidsilver]

I guess I'll go for it, then.   Thanks.

[photomd]

Yep...go exploring, but make sure you recognize where you've come from. As a teenager we popped out on some tracks and took off. Then couldn't find where we came outta the woods. Stupid teenagers.  

[R.Markus]

I'd ride down 'em to see where they go.

Do be careful of bridges that may have been removed.

We have a lot of old railroad beds around here that we grew up snowmobiling on. They removed a bridge about 15 miles north of us and one of our friends rode off of it and hurt himself pretty good. There wasn't much marking it, and what was marking it was covered in snow.

[jay547]

sometimes farmers fence across the RR right of way.  Not real sure why they feel it belongs to them, I'm pretty sure it doesn't.  Have fun!

in many cases when a railroad is abandoned, ownership reverts to the adjoining land owners. it's also possible that the railroad merely had an easement and never actually owned the property. often when the easement is no longer used for it's stated purpose, it is extinguished.

[Albie]

You could fall in a great big hole and die an excrutiatingly painful death.    I say go for it!  

[Mrs. DantesDame]

I'd go for it as well  

[Mac]

I'd go for it as well  

Ooooooooooooo, you're wicked! You're wicked!  Nudge, nudge, say no more.

[CBRXXBLACKBIRD]

I would have to have a peek myself.

[Liquidsilver]

I'll report what I find!  
 
 
 

[Mrs. DantesDame]

I'll report what I find!  
 
 
 

With pictures!!!!!  

[speedjunkie]

in many cases when a railroad is abandoned, ownership reverts to the adjoining land owners. it's also possible that the railroad merely had an easement and never actually owned the property. often when the easement is no longer used for it's stated purpose, it is extinguished.

Thanks!  They might very well explain things.  Odd thing tho, it was open on one end, rode all the way across and found a fence within 100 yards of the next intersecting road.  Most are fairly open, maybe just a pile of gravel there to discourage autos.



Mike

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Well??? Did you fall into a mine or something?? How was it??  

[Baz]

Where is our ride report? And how about some poor quality "Blair witch" type video.

[Liquidsilver]

Well??? Did you fall into a mine or something?? How was it??  

 
 
I'm going out there this weekend.   I'll see if I can take a camera.    
 
 
 

[Mrs. DantesDame]

 
 
I'm going out there this weekend.   I'll see if I can take a camera.    
 
 
 

[R.Markus]

Hey, it's the weekend...where are our pictures?


OK, it's my weekend...isn't that good enough?

[Liquidsilver]

I did it.  
 
I didn't reach the end of the line, though.
 
Now that I know what the tracks are like, I'm sure glad I didn't try it on a big 'trailie' or anything.   There are places where it's NASTY between the rails, with like 3" rock laid very unevenly.   There are also places where you're just bumbling over the ties, and several of the ties were fragmented.   The rails themselves are tall enough that you pretty much have to lift the bike inside and outside of them, because they're hard to hit perpendicularly.   If I were on a 'strom, I'd have probably chickened out.
 
Riding outside the rails wouldn't have worked, because the gravel berm is SOOOO loose, you have a perpetual avalanche beside you, and I wasn't going to make any time that way.  
 
We crossed a bridge, with a creek far beneath the open rails... and that was an eye-opener.  
 
Anyhoo... I was riding with a buddy this weekend... and he was game to check out the tracks with me, so we headed out.   His WZ-250 isn't geared for highway use, so we kept the speeds at about 40 mph.
 
I'm also riding my new 07 WR-450 for the first time, so I'm still getting a feel for the new bike.   New gear, too.   Woo hoo.
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here's the tracks.   Here's the bikes.
 

 
These tracks are more wide open than any of the highways in the area, that's for sure.
 

 

 
Once between the rails, we were cooking along pretty well... about 35mph average was the best harmonic balance of the jiggling between the ties.  
 
Some of the ad-hoc crossings were interesting from that angle.   At one crossing, there was an approaching car.   Yes, we got a funny look.
 
Early in the journey, we did about 2 miles of huge rock 'bobbling' between the rails, and if that had continued much longer, we'd have turned around, but it smoothed back out.   There were some areas with cement ties, and those were the smoothest.   Occasionally a rotted, wooden tie would make a woody slap-slap that sounded like you were riding on a train.
 
After several miles of playing Casey Jones, the rail grade started looking pretty high, and what's this, in the distance?   Bridge!  
 
I approached the bridge cautiously, not knowing what I'd find.   It was high over a creek and ravine.   There were re-railing bars that had to be crossed, and we proceeded over the bridge.   When I looked down, I could see a long way down between the ties.  Tee hee.  
 
 
Some time later, we came to a different bridge, that didn't look so easy to cross.
 

 

 

 
 
Scratching our heads, we thought the adventure was over, but looking down the ravine... we found a way we could offroad down, cross the creek and woods-bully back up to the tracks.   Good to go some more!
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We had covered about 25 miles when we came to a crossing and stopped to look around, and noticed something about buddy's bike.
 

 

 
And we weren't carrying tubes.   I'll bet there's lots of nails and junk between those rails.
 
Anyhoo, I took the nearest highway back to get my truck for buddy's bike, instead of changing the tire out there.
 
We'll probably try this again, with more time to explore, and carrying spare tubes and tire tools.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
End of story.