Re: track bikes and liability

So true. I recently talked with BNSF cop and he said he has caught people on rail bikes, hand-made hi-railer trucks, even old track speeders on highly-used rail lines over the years. They get caught for pretty obvious reasons, as the railroads have ways to know what's on their tracks.
G&W has a short line within sight of my back deck and I see all kinds of trespassing on that line and it's used often. I have heard people describe that line as 'abandoned' and it couldn't be more clear it's a well used active line, just by looking at it (polished rail heads, excellent right of way and no weeds on the tracks).
I'm a brakeman on a tourist railroad and while we're not running trains right now due to several reasons (washed out section of track and some insurance issues), I have personally stopped folks I see on the tracks. Every single time, they declare it's abandoned.
The internet is filled with videos of 'abandoned' stuff as if you have the right to trespass on other people's property. Every square inch you're on, someone owns it, and owns the thing sitting on it.
Unless you have written permission to be there or the owner is standing there with you, you're trespassing; pure and simple.


guymonmd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sadly, there are many folks out there who feel
> they can freely trespass on railroad property
> whether the line is abandoned, inactive or even
> active.
> I have been guilty of doing so in the past.
>
> Many folks would not think twice about riding a
> track bike on abandoned/inactive track without
> asking permission from the ROW owner.

-Lee

Flickr photo set of my On30 layout