Katzenjammer

https://rrbike.freeservers.com/

n4zou

I built a rail bike but I didn't need the instructions at the site you posted. I don’t know what you mean by retro however. Anyway, I picked up a step-through frame bike with three-speed hub and coaster brake at a thrift store for a few bucks. I used 1" EMT conduit for the outrigger and 1/2" EMT conduit for the two outrigger support stringers. I had some flanged steel wheels from an overhead wench trolley I used for the front wheel guide. After getting that all setup I had to perfectly align the rear wheel in the dropouts so it would properly ride along on the track. I have a 12-mile section of abandoned track 4 miles from where I live so I enjoy getting out and riding that track. I also have a Fairmont rail car but the railroad company that has control of the abandoned track will not allow me to ride it on that 12-mile section of track. They don’t care about people walking or bicycling on it. There are several of us that use that track with rail bikes. I only get to use my Fairmont railcar on NAROCA sponsored excursions. https://www.narcoa.org/

kemmer

Looks like fun! I wonder how many abandoned train tracks there are around here.

Edit: this should probably go in the alt bike forum.

silversmith

n4zou,

Before becoming a swtchman in the late 70's, I had spent 3 years working on the RR section. I rember pushing/rolling along on the old "dumpys."

These railbikes look neat. Time to get the brazing rods out.

Katzenjammer

By "retro" I only meant that railroads are currently seen as outdated, unneeded, backward, etc. Like bikes really.


(those rail cars look like bloody good fun.)

coelcanth

around here, when a section of track was bypassed and abandoned to combine two lines into one, the (leaseholders?) tore up one half of the track (that is, one rail) to discourage interested third parties from starting up an independent and competing service

lotek 

with my luck I'd be tooling along and find the line wasn't as
abandoned as I thought

cudak888 

^
As a railfan myself..."OH, Shut up!"


Incedentally, while the concept of the railbike seems fun, the practicality of using one seems to outweight any enjoyable benifits it might have. Too much effort/hassle to get permission to use abandoned lines.

-Kurt

silversmith

Just lay a torpedo on the rail every couple of miles. Or, if you haven't a stash of torpedoes, just drop a fusee every 9 minutes and no one will ever sneak up behind you.

anastrophe

Wouldn't work around here...all the abandoned rails were turned into bike paths

Sammyboy

Wow! Sometimes you just have a moment that makes you realise there's whole movements going on that you know nothing about. This is just the sort of cool madness that appeals to me!

USAZorro

Passing someone would be a little more involved than saying "on your left" (or right for Sammy), and picking up the pace a little.

Might be fun to try, but I'd rather stick to road cycling.

99Super

we have few "abandoned" rail lines here in ID as they are torn up for scrap asap after abandonment. There are several lines the have very limited use (and then at low speeds) and could be ridden. Some are very scenic. I don't need another project, but...
Take a look at this rail line, mostly abandoned,
https://www.wwvrailway.com/grangevi.htm

john

Katzenjammer

ohmigod that's beautiful. and they're tearing up those tracks? the fools!

roccobike

I live near a RR track. Unfortunately, CSX uses it for their main freight line from Wilmington and Amtrak uses it every morning. So I think I'll pass.

Stacey

Just sharing a little historic trivia: Back in the 1800's there was a bike railway from Mt. Holly, NJ to nearby Smithville which was a major enterprise center. The story has it, the workers would ride these bikes to and from work on this monorail affair.

Ha... found a link!

And a picture!

leftthread

Kinda reminds me of George C. Scott in the Flim Flam Man.