I have a mate who walked along the railway tracks, got hit by a train shunting cars, he's alive, but his right arm is paralised, and he's in constant pain - 15 years later.

 

My advice is when you hear the train get off the tracks

 

I see railroad track as the last paths of travel that would be blocked or baracaded and manned by locals or bandits.

The big issues for me and our specific topography is getting across any rivers or large creeks by car. a train bridge would work in a pinch but this means abandoning your truck and hitting it on foot or motorcycle.

food for thought.

 

I see railroad track as the last paths of travel that would be blocked or baracaded and manned by locals or bandits.

Same here. Just like a road or trail, railroad tracks are going to have a lot of other folks walking them too. I'll pass. I make my way through the desert, away from roads, trails or tracks of any kind.

 

Railroad tracks "BAD IDEA"...Having worked for the railroad for 37 years I can attest to the variety of peoples you will run into right now who inhabit the "right of way" along the tracks not to mention who live under the railroad trestles and bridges. Many a night I have had to go out and did encounter so called street thugs and wanna be gang members on or near the tracks. This is in what we now call a peaceful time....just wait till the ball goes up and see how things change. SEMPER FI

 

I would like to argue that following lines of drift will alwayse be a bad idea in a crisis I would not walk on the track/road/highway/major trails but paralell it so that way my approach can not be seen from along way off and chances of being stopped/ambushed diminished.

That being said I think RR tracks and streams and rivers will be more navigable for longer post SHTF

 

I see what your saying 2dog from working security in an area with a sizable piece of track that was more often than not a problem. All-ways thought that it was because tracks tend to be out of the way and a semi private place for hooligans and worse to hang out unscrutinized and do their "business"

 

I've walked many miles on tracks while hiking in a rural setting as a 'youngster'.

It can actually be very tiring trying to 'time' your footsteps with the cross-ties.
If your stride is just right, it is not as bad.

The chances of turning an ankle or tripping are MUCH more likely than walking on flat ground, even if there is gravel/fill between the ties.

When we were hinking and walking the track we not carrying any supplies either. Maybe some crackers or a cookie in the pocket. We would drink from the stream or spring along the way. (Yeah. I'm old)

Another thing is crossing the RR trestles/bridges safely. When you're 10-15 years old, trying to get to the other side of the trestle before the train gets there, is kinda fun and exciting.
We thought if we couldn't make it we would just jump down between the ties and hang on from the bottom until the train went by.( James Bond was real, no?)

I don't know if I could even fit between the RR ties now, much less hang on lol.

Anyway, I think you should walk some different tracks with a pack for a while and see what you think.
I would definitely want to know the general area first also.

 

Can't speak for the other parts of the country ...... around here lots of the abandoned single RR track lines are being converted to recreational hike/bike trails ..... wide enough to drive on - many criss-cross the countryside like most highways don't ..... something to keep in mind when mapping SHTF travel

 

If you thought of it, other people will have as well. The problem is that it only takes a few bad ones to turn your bug out walk into a nightmare.

 

I have walked a lot of track in my 33+ years on the job. I have been both the walker and the stalker. You spot someone on the tracks from really far away. Ambush is easy. Running on slag or ties is very dangerous. Rail can be very slippery so try never walking on the rail itself. Be especially careful going under overpasses. If the tracks could still be active they can be fatal. There are automatic switches that could activate, catch your foot and pin you into the tracks. You can be electrocuted by some tracks or ground returns. Better yet, stay off the tracks and the right of way. And yes, as someone already mentioned, you can find some really bad folks hiding along the tracks.
We picked up a guy a few years ago who had set up a little hooch, hiding in the brush.
He was a multi convicted sex offender as well as other offences of violence. We ended up tying him to several fresh cases against teenage girls in the area.

 

I plan on following the tracks but not actually walking on them. That's a great way to get hurt or worse.

Paralleling the tracks is the way to go. Stay off the slag and go slow.

 

Walking the tree helps but there are some stretches that you will be totally exposed, especially on a trestle. I remember one trestle that was three tracks wide with a grass strip. About half way across there was an open manhole that had nothing under it but a 300 foot drop to the river. You had no clue it was there until you were right on it. We were able to find the cover and re-secure it. We eventually had it welded shut.

 

Who's to say the military won't..

be using the RR during bad times. Its fast, you can move lots of troops and equipment with train lines. As roads become clogged with civilian cars and jammed up why wouldn't they? Depending on the bug out reasons, you may or may not want to be seen at all...especially if you are armed.-WW

 

My BOL used to have tracks but they have pulled tham all up and turned it into a snowmobile treehugger hiking pathway.

Im seriously leaning towards a ATV with room in the back for my preps.

that would handle tracks, bridges and trails.

 

where I live there are RR tracts all over being a major hub.... Many homeless camps off to the sides not use it would be a good way out.

 

Just a tired thought, what use could you put disused rails, ties and sleepers to?

I use sleeper size hardwood in my landscaping, but the rails..

 

my dads had a garage made out of ties....Father-in-law had a shed made out of them

 

The rails make great anvils. I use a couple in my shop. They also make very stout bumpers for trucks. I had a front bumper made from rail specifically for a truck I designed for ramming vehicles. (long story...it was named "The Driving Instructor"...you figure it out)

 

The army considers the clearings around railroad tracks as a danger crossing. You can see a long way both ways.

Your new Indian name will be "Walking Duck."

 

I tried using google maps to track RR to my bugout location. Problem is there is no diect route there. Some of the tracks are still in use, some are abandoned, some have been turned into parks with all the tack torn up.

You have to be able to deal with raised railroad beds, bridges, downed bridges, swamps, stalled or parked RR cars, fallen trees and bracken.


For walking out, it may be a good idea, for driving, not so much.

recently read a book where they turned bicycles into railroad track runners. Welded four bikes together so four people could peddle along. If the track was torn up, they could carry the bikeset across or turn it around.

If you have some mechanical ability, it might be an option.

 

Trains will be one of the few things still running after SHTF, just watch out for the military on them. EMP and the diesel engines dont work they will switch to the steam locomotives at the train museum in the next town over.

Everybody is going to have the same idea eventually. We as people are very observant of our surroundings. Once those natural instincts kick in you better watch out because everything is open game.

 

I would hate to be driving down some tracks and come to an impassable spot. Either go back the way you came or abandon your vehicle. Waste of time and energy and waste of equipment imo. I work for the local power company and have worked on poles on the side of tracks before, it made work more difficult than normal. Just walking was a pain at times. Even in larger trucks it wasn't as easy driving as one would think.

 

Let's work under the impression that the Fema Death camps are real. They have martial law in place and are using U.N. forces to move the population. The railroads are being used for prison transports too and from the death camps.

In this scenario I would assume travel on the tracks would be highly monitered, so it could be wise to parallel the track, but remain far enough away to avoid detection.

Also in this scenario I would assume it would be very wise to destroy the tracks at every opportunity possible. As this would help slow progress of them sending people to the camps and possibly allow prisoners to escape from the ensuing train wrecks.

 

Let's work under the impression that the Fema Death camps are real.

Let's not!

 

get a aircraft map called a sectional from your local airport. they show every thing. rail. interstate electrcal lines gas lines[ these mostly kept clear of brush] towers ,creeks,roads ,bridges. ground elevaton. much more that could be used to navigate without using roads or rail.

 

Best advice yet in this thread! :thumb:

Anyone, who's plans are to bug out should have aviation topographic maps in their bug out kit that cover all avenues of escape.


________________________

III ~ Peaceful, but prepared.

"Obama, the skid-mark in the underwear of American history." - J.R.L. -

 

Here's another reason why I would try to avoid railroad tracks, most of them lead into major populations centers.....And that's what I would try to avoid.


________________________

III ~ Peaceful, but prepared.

"Obama, the skid-mark in the underwear of American history." - J.R.L. -

 

If you see an area with red and white stripes, it means "Danger" "No safe passage"
This indicates that there is insufficient clearance if a train comes.