I smiled as the jet flew over, confirming the airman's instructions to vacate the area. I'm retired USAF, I see your USN, congratulations on your retirement!
@therocketscientist0000 That is where the Chocolate Mountains aerial gunnery range is located, which is operated by MCAS Yuma. Those guys in the vehicle were the US Air Force?
Why did I watch this? I was in the USAF from 1962 to 1966. In South Dakota. After that I became a hobo riding on freight trains Later I became a motorcycle mechanic. I finally settled down and became a schoolteacher. I love this video... Why?
THIS WAS GREAT RIDE FOR ME,JUST LIKE I WAS THERE WITH YOU TOO. I SITTING IN THE BACK WHILE YOU DRIVE US AROUND.THE SITES WAS GOOD ON THE EYES.THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME INTO YOUR ADVENTURE.FROM NEW JERSEY. KEEP ON RAILING.
I grew up in the desert southwest and this was so awsum and relaxing. I could just about smell the desert plants and feal the warm dry air on that beautiful overcast partly cloudy day. Now i want to start doing this .you have definitely inspired me. Thank you so much.
I went to Eagle mountain back in the 90's and collected mineral samples. This was some very unique iron and manganese samples. Just recently I've started to cut up these samples and I'm amazed at the high iron content as well as the high quality of manganese that was produced there. This was a basically abandoned mining site prior to the "landfill" project that was taken over by the govt I seem to recall that it was a Kaiser Steel mine and produced some of the most highest quality iron ore during WW2.
Coal from Utah, iron ore from Eagle mountain, the steel mill was in Fontana where the Auto Club raceway is now. The mill had an underground rolling mill almost a mile long and right before it closed down had installed an electric arc smelter to reduce emissions. Plant was mainly for the Kaiser shipyards in Long Beach.
@@5695q I had heard that this was a Kaiser mine, thanks for the further information about that local destination for the ore. I've heard that the quality of the ore and the manganese had alot to do with the high quality steel that was produced. I've heard that the steel quality and smelting process had produced some of the hardest steels. This was used for naval ships armoured plating, protection plates for gun emplacements, tank plating, and big gun barrels. My samples show an extremely high and pure iron content with few damaging contaminants. The maganese is also of high quality. Do you know if this is true? I've also heard that the quality grade of this source was considered a national secret, in the day. Thanks again for the information about the steel mill in Fontana, it makes sense with the rail line closely following the I-10 path. It makes alot of sense, this path leads to the airplane, and ship builders in San Diego and Los Angeles.
@@davidedgar2818 The fact they found iron ore close to the Pacific coast was a controlling factor, otherwise they would have to ship steel from Midwest and East. I went there on a geology field trip in the late 70's twice, the second time the mill was in shutdown and they were rolling the steel billets they had in a soak tank before total closure. the guide said it was some of the best ore around, I doubt they got it all so wonder about filling in the pit.
I don't recall Kaiser having a shipyard in L.A., but I do remember the Todd Shipyard, and Southwest Marine, and both would build/repair everything from fishing boats, to Navy ships. I remember before Todd shut down their yard in San Pedro, one of the last ships they worked on belonged to Matson, and they cut it near the center, and stretched it. I also remember them building Aegis-class destroyers. The mine was also where the Terex Titan was originally used: up until the '90's (I think), that was the world's largest dump truck. Only one was ever built, and when the mine was shut down, the truck was sold to a company in Canada, and operated until the spare parts began to run out. Now it's on display in the town where it last operated. (I forget the name, but I got to see it while driving trucks up there - and got my picture taken with it!) Edit: Sparwood, B.C., Canada.
Interesting that the USAF stopped you, as that range belongs to the Navy! It's the Chocolate Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range, and it's where the original "Top Gun" combat scenes were filmed. I used to go target shooting off of I-10 and Red Cloud Rd., between 1989-2002, and was buzzed by F-14's, A-4's, F-18's, OV-10's, A-6/7's, and even the odd C-130, while playing out there. The area where I would shoot was about 6 miles south of the freeway - just a tad inside the edge of the range, and while I was never stopped by the military, one of the last times I was out there, I was finally approached by a federal Ranger, that checked to make sure my rifles were legal (and they were...and a bit collectible - and to my surprise, his book that he used to check serial numbers told him that!) I'd occasionally see him out there over the years, maybe 4 or 5 times. He only stopped the one time, because I was parked about 50 yards off the trail - a no-no. I did this all the time out there, but during the Clinton years, he was told to enforce it! I was never cited, though, as I always cleaned up all my spent casings, and all my targets and trash, hence why he never said hello before.
I thought it was strange too. They had a white pick-up truck with U.S.A.F. insignias on it. They (2 of them) were dressed in civilian clothes with side arms. They did have U.S.A.F. military I.D.'s (because I asked to see them). Thanks for your comments and your support!
@@therocketscientist0000 The aerial gunnery range is south of I-10: if that's where you were approached. I'm not sure if that rail line cuts through the range, but if it does - and you plan another trip along that line, you could possibly try calling the Duty Officers at North Island NAS, or maybe MCAS El Centro & Twentynine Palms, and see if they have anything going on, the day you plan on being there. As for the USAF...I'm guessing they had some sort of joint training exercise going on, unless they've taken over that range (I don't think they have)...kinda odd for them to be out there in a pickup truck, unless they were testing something, and didn't want attention.
ive ridden lotsa different motorcyles,,,and many times on trail motorcycles on abandoned track.I find its good riding once you get past 30 mph the bumpy ties smooth out,,,and if i need to hit the side slopes or off into the woods or timber i can. be sure to let folks know where you went to so you can be found if missing. And i always take ham radio HT so i can most times hit repeaters on mountain tops if needed.
What a classic video idea, & the fishlens camera was a magnificent way to start. Hat's off to our "Flyboys". Thank you for serving our country. What an exciting experience this must have been. Right from the getgo, I was concerned for your over~all safety. Those chairs, I didn't think they could handle the weight. What with the added pressure of G-force. Then there was the concern of you tipping over at the curves & speeds you moved at. Loved it
Wonderful, really enjoying this, I could easily become a full timer at this! How does one go about getting permission to ride the abounded rail section?
@@therocketscientist0000 what do you think of the ideeee of long axles so you can at least put a pin through hub and axle at a couple of locations so you can move wheels on one side out at different distances on axles for different gauge track??
Suggestion: Aluminum bars in front corners will push brush off too sides, and a piece of plexiglass would be helpfull for the front. Have a nice day !!
I wonder why none of you guys make wheels using rubber tires with steel flanges? The noise and the rough ride of all steel would be enough for me to switch. That's got to be so much fun riding your carts on those old railways!! I've lives around unused lines for most of my life and never thought of that before. I'm jealous for sure but keep having fun!! 👍👍
Fantastic Voyage! Incredible Journey! I loved every second of that ride! I don't know about the east side but I would think this west ride is more scenic with all of the oasis greenery through the 'palm corridor' and that HUGE massive 'monster' palm at around 17:00.
I have two videos of the Eagle Mountain Railroad (EMMR) in my playlist of videos. It shows that the east side is a lot better than the west side (more to see, including the Salt Creek Trestle).
@@therocketscientist0000 OK great, thanks! I'll have to check it out. I can probably safely assume you didn't go beyond the washed out section after the trestle. Just think if you could make it all the way to the mine. That place looks really spooky on Google Earth.
Years ago, when the track was still there (past the washed out area), my friend rode his rail cart all the way to the mine several times. He said he went 50 mph!
@@therocketscientist0000 That is truly incredible! Man, they should have walking tours of that steel mill and the ghost town. I would definitely pay to see it.
-- Ah, I see that you reserved seats on the observation deck. Nice. And you (thoughtfully) brought loppers. This video provides no more than a glimpse of this trip's value. -- 'Clever turning around at mid-video, not to mention the trolley conversion.
That old Briggs & Stratton sure makes a lot of racket. A Honda 4 cycle and and some 100 durometer rubber on those wheels would be nice. Some guys put sails on the cars and fly like ice boats. Mostly done in Arizona and New Mexico. 80-90mph on one of those is a death wish.
Hey Rocket Scientist.....Great content. I love all your videos! Hello from N.E. Oregon. I am trying to find out what I can on this DIY rail speeder hobby and was thinking you could point me in a direction or two. I have an abandon rail next to my house and am wanting to build a speeder to go explore. The rail will take me through gorgeous landscape to some world class fishing...sooooooooo it would seem I not only want one of these I NEED one of these.....LOL. I hope to hear back from you.
Hard to tell if Railroad Tracks are truly abandoned. Yeah if there is Tracks removed before it got to a Major Mainline section in both directions then you can call the Tracks Not in use. Otherwise until all Train track Rails are Removed. No Such thing as Abandoned Tracks. As it is ALWAYS possible for Rail Company to come in and do repairs if needed, add tracks if needed and reuse them if needed.
@@ChakatNightspark I can confirm it is abandon and is actually listed as so on a couple of web sites I found. Thank you for your post. Everything helps! Cheers!
@@brettsgalaxyvids Are they Official Websites from your Town/City and or From the Railroad Company Themselves? Otherwise Any Website can List Tracks down as abandoned if they have been used for a long time. EVEN if they have Trees and brush covering them. They can still be owned by the Railroad Company and Could be Cleared and USED at any time at all. About 10 miles from me, There was Tracks that hadnt been used for some 75- 80 years. People even pushed dirt over the tracks in some areas so they could have a bigger backyard. Some had sheds over the area. Well back in 2018. Railroad Company Came in and started clearing everything out. They did give people 24 hour Notice. Day later, Machines came in, chopped down trees, removed dirt, fences, sheds, a couple above ground pools. The People couldn't do anything. Cause Railroad Company owned the Rights and the easement to it. Yes People were pissed and tried suing I think or get them to Stop. But, Work continued was fully completed in start of 2019 and is a Active Line again. So just Cause a Railroad Tracks are there, Its impossible to Tell if they are Truly Abandoned, Unless Tracks are Removed
@@ChakatNightspark Sounds like the farce that was the Arbutus Corridor in Vancouver, BC. A rail line that hadn't been used for many years that ran through some of the most expensive real-estate in Canada. Community gardens had been built and other uses by regular people as you describe. Then all of a sudden the railway company that had been given the land free 100 years ago suddenly decided they wanted to sell it and were asking an exorbitant price. City didn't budge so the rail company started clearing the overgrowth, destroying the gardens and threatened that the line would be returned to use for "storage and training purposes". Their thinking was that the owners of the surrounding houses would force the city to settle. Didn't happen and a reasonable settlement with restricted uses for the land was reached. It's now a cycle path and greenway.
@@therocketscientist0000 Seriously, all the carts I've seen in video, they're struggling to life and turn around. Imagine if it was automatic, at th e push of a button, descend, raise, turn around, lower, and you're off!
According to Wikipedia this rail line was scheduled to be completely removed by the end of 2023. This video predates that work. I'd be curious to know if any of it still exists here in 2024.
You need a better muffler. Or at least small diameter tubing turned down towards the ground. The inverter generators use that same engine, but with a really quiet muffler.
Your trailer looks a lot like mine. I change the tires when we un load and tow it behind my Rail Runner with our camp gear and grub. It's great for hauling crap we find and pulls so easy , you should try it. I have a small camper shell to put on it, but I want it to pop up to sleep under. An electric start motor has 12-V charging and think about all the cool stuff you can charge up -Rex
Hola ThecRocket, buenas noches. Que lindo video que se filmaron. Lo disfrute mucho. Me imagino le preocupación y luego la impotencia, de encontrarse con la patrulla y les impidieran continuar viaje. Muchas gracias por estar ahi para registrarlo todo y compartirlo con todos nosotros. Buen trabajo. Sigan adelante.
Just watched another person on same line. He started where you had lunch. I followed it all the way to the mine from there and it looked pretty bad shape further up.. also nothing on google maps showing it is a bombing range. Lots of Jeep pictures though under the trestles.
If you hadn't sold it,you could have tried something like the reverse of high railers,instead of lower-able steel wheels you could have fabricated lower-able pneumatic tires,to get you to the next good track,looked like a small gap.
id like to have a rail cart,,,but til then,,,,ive found a good size trail motorcycle can do a fair job. Trick is to get your speed above 35 mph to smooth out the bumps of the ties. And you have to watch carefully for missing ties on trestles. If one tie is missing, you are ok at 40mph but more than that and you will have to do some emergency braking, back up and ride down the roadbed side and up again once past the creek.
@@bill45colt i do a similar type thing with my atv/quad... my tires just barely fit between the rails; within a few inches of the spikes that are coming up more & more every day... I have to be really careful... we have a section of abandoned rail, cutoff from civilization by a tunnel collapse 4 miles to the south and a river mudslide washout about 8 miles to the north of our place in Northern California...
I was stopped at the point of 50cal, jeep mounted, machine gun by USAF! Our uncle took us to local yearly air show in Klamath Falls, but to our amazement it started tomorrow not today. We were walking around flight line checking out planes, close an personal an almost got shot for spies!
Made a wrong turn when leaving a base where I was teaching a tech class for IBM… turned around when the automatic weapons appeared. Oops! Sorry! Don’t shoot me please.
Imagine the guys discovering a vehicle in the middle of nowhere and puzzling where those people went? And then; o wait, the railroad tracks! How many miles did you guys cover that day?
I was wondering when I was going to see someone stop and trim up some bushes.. I would be tempted to get one of those electric chain saws on a pole..lol.. nice video...
Strange...no signs ? Any bombing range I ever saw was posted up big time,regardless of how remote,good show looks like a great spot to explore by rail . I would work out a brush guard of sorts angled forward, with plexiglas to keep brush from impaling you lightweight aluminum frame ? Just a thought,present method works. Thanks for sharing,here where I live (upstate New York) it’s hard to find a line you could run.the ones I know of are way to short to bother with. We’ll be watching for more. !
@@therocketscientist0000 makes sense now that I think about it .filming them was unimportant.looking forward to more ! How about a mention of distance a little more. It’s hard to guess with a camera shot,but when you show those mountains in the distance They must be several miles at least . Thanks again. .
This was a super cool video!! I was going back and forth from your video, then pause, then Google maps. Do you have another video going towards the other end? I see some sorta yard there and even a few train cars here and there. Some huge wash out too at the end near that yard. Love this idea!! I have a kubota x900 buggie, I want to build or buy a rail kit for it and ride some rails. Brooksville Florida here. We have old rails around here too. .... looks like you guys where on System Road. Looks like a really cool water way thing with another trestle and then Gas Line Road.
@@therocketscientist0000 cool!! I will do that. These are really cool. On map it looks like a huge area covered up by sand just after the big trestle area.
Would love to make a machine like your rail cart but the real problem is the rails near where I am had a good washing out with the rains of winter, 1996. The rains took out the best part of the trip at the Scotia Bluffs near Rio Dell, California. Plenty of rails and a few tunnels according to google earth but unable to get thru the Scotia Bluffs after the rains took out the trestles. The rails are part of the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) headquartered in Eureka, California. To make matters worse, most of the rails are covered with 20plus year old trees.
This is around the Chocolate Mountain NAVAL gunnery range.....none of the Track is on their land or jurisdiction. The Navy like to ACT like it is though. You may get run off by the Kaiser folks but the Navy has no say. The Bradshaw Trail runs along the Tracks for many mile to the Colorado River in Blyth if you ever want to explore it and is all legal.
Yea, that's what I'm talking about. You know, the Keiser Steel trains have been running along aside the bombing range for decades, they never stopped them, why can't I do the same? Thanks for your support and comment.
@@therocketscientist0000, most likely they ran on a schedule that the military scheduled their bombing times around, and those Range Patrol officers announced when the train was coming and when it cleared the range, as a safeguard. Unfortunately, you weren't on the schedule and you didn't have the political clout of a railroad. BTW, I've been a civilian contractor for military weapons tests, and unless I was part of the testing I wouldn't go near a bombing range on a bet. The flyboys aren't always quite as careful as we'd like to think they are. New pilots, new things to test, equipment malfunctions, etc. Shit happens. That's why they have real big areas to practice in. Ever since I was a kid in the 1960's camping in Canada with my folks and I saw an abandoned railroad track that had been used for logging until it grew unprofitable, headed due north a few hundred miles toward the Arctic tundra I've wanted to get a little gas-powered cart with a camping shell on it and head north as far as I could manage for a couple of weeks in the summer, and just hang out in the peace and quiet by some lake 100 miles from anyone. Then fire it back up and head back south to civilization again. I guess that's why I'm attracted to videos like yours.
Hey guys use an ATV power unit electric starter ,plus forward and reverse trans , don't have to turn around and goes just as fast ,just turn seats around .
fantastic, but have you thought about placing an electric drive source on it. it would run almost silent. On a sun cover you could mount a 200 to 400 watt solar panel as the sun cover to constantly recharge the lithium iron battery so you never have to fuel up again. silence is golden. keep looking up
nice and exciting video, everything is bigger in the USA, but do youI got an explanation from the U.S.A.F as to why you were only allowed to drive west, there probably wasn't a sign
I have been working on a rail speeder a couple years now using a 12 hp generator and 2 variable speed electric motors for drives jus got to find somewhere to run it on
@@therocketscientist0000 why not just buy a old Fairmont or Woodings then join NARCOA...once you pass the test and are mentored, then you can operate on many mainline tracks all over the country on organized excursions
@@Island_Line_Rail_Productions I know guys who have Fairmonts and belong to NARCOA, but I just wanted to see if I could build my own. I'm glad I did it.
Nice run. Retraced your ride on google maps. Saw the shed where you had lunch. Nearby where the tracks would’ve joined the main line, the map is marked Ferrum. Was there a town there in the past? Regardless, your cart is great.
Ferrum is the name the Southern Pacific gave the Siding for the main line there. The town nearby is called North Shore....I am from there myself and rode the line on my Dirt Bike even when the Kaiser train still ran daily!
So how do you like those polyurethane wheels? I assume they are the 12 inch ones? I ordered the 17” queens a month ago for an electric powered cart I’m building! 3000w motor 72v platform so ideally when I cruise it’ll be relatively quiet 😬 Excellent video’s and work!
The wheels (12") are great, never had any problems with them cracking or breaking in any way. They are also quiet. Link me your videos of your electric rig when you finished with it!
I think the fact it’s an active firing range, rather than simply the presence of range patrol, may be the real reason you couldn’t go the way you wished...this video was very ‘murricah!
@@SgtChip When you look at topo maps, the railroad tracks do not enter into government property at all. Kaiser Steel ran trains on this same track for decades. No trains got blown up as far as I know.
I smiled as the jet flew over, confirming the airman's instructions to vacate the area. I'm retired USAF, I see your USN, congratulations on your retirement!
Thanks for your support.
But the tracks are still there after all those bombing runs. I think you’re ok on them even in the range.
Thanks for sharing this video. I’m retired USAF. Interesting rail car.
I'm retired USN.
@therocketscientist0000 That is where the Chocolate Mountains aerial gunnery range is located, which is operated by MCAS Yuma. Those guys in the vehicle were the US Air Force?
Why did I watch this? I was in the USAF from 1962 to 1966. In South Dakota. After that I became a hobo riding on freight trains Later I became a motorcycle mechanic. I finally settled down and became a schoolteacher. I love this video... Why?
Glad to give you a little blast from the past.
You are a well rounded capable man, with lots of grit. It is people like you, that make things happen from strength and goodness.
This is like the railroad version of riding a Harley with the wind at your face.
I would have a blast doing this!👍
Great idea for my Harley thanks
Glad you liked it, thanks for your support!
The train horn is a nice touch. People will be expecting a train coming around the corner
THIS WAS GREAT RIDE FOR ME,JUST LIKE I WAS THERE WITH YOU TOO. I SITTING IN THE BACK WHILE YOU DRIVE US AROUND.THE SITES WAS GOOD ON THE EYES.THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME INTO YOUR ADVENTURE.FROM NEW JERSEY. KEEP ON RAILING.
Glad you enjoyed
I grew up in the desert southwest and this was so awsum and relaxing. I could just about smell the desert plants and feal the warm dry air on that beautiful overcast partly cloudy day. Now i want to start doing this .you have definitely inspired me. Thank you so much.
Thanks so much for your support! It's really fun!
I went to Eagle mountain back in the 90's and collected mineral samples. This was some very unique iron and manganese samples. Just recently I've started to cut up these samples and I'm amazed at the high iron content as well as the high quality of manganese that was produced there.
This was a basically abandoned mining site prior to the "landfill" project that was taken over by the govt
I seem to recall that it was a Kaiser Steel mine and produced some of the most highest quality iron ore during WW2.
Coal from Utah, iron ore from Eagle mountain, the steel mill was in Fontana where the Auto Club raceway is now. The mill had an underground rolling mill almost a mile long and right before it closed down had installed an electric arc smelter to reduce emissions. Plant was mainly for the Kaiser shipyards in Long Beach.
@@5695q I had heard that this was a Kaiser mine, thanks for the further information about that local destination for the ore.
I've heard that the quality of the ore and the manganese had alot to do with the high quality steel that was produced. I've heard that the steel quality and smelting process had produced some of the hardest steels. This was used for naval ships armoured plating, protection plates for gun emplacements, tank plating, and big gun barrels.
My samples show an extremely high and pure iron content with few damaging contaminants. The maganese is also of high quality. Do you know if this is true? I've also heard that the quality grade of this source was considered a national secret, in the day.
Thanks again for the information about the steel mill in Fontana, it makes sense with the rail line closely following the I-10 path. It makes alot of sense, this path leads to the airplane, and ship builders in San Diego and Los Angeles.
@@davidedgar2818 The fact they found iron ore close to the Pacific coast was a controlling factor, otherwise they would have to ship steel from Midwest and East. I went there on a geology field trip in the late 70's twice, the second time the mill was in shutdown and they were rolling the steel billets they had in a soak tank before total closure. the guide said it was some of the best ore around, I doubt they got it all so wonder about filling in the pit.
I don't recall Kaiser having a shipyard in L.A., but I do remember the Todd Shipyard, and Southwest Marine, and both would build/repair everything from fishing boats, to Navy ships.
I remember before Todd shut down their yard in San Pedro, one of the last ships they worked on belonged to Matson, and they cut it near the center, and stretched it.
I also remember them building Aegis-class destroyers.
The mine was also where the Terex Titan was originally used: up until the '90's (I think), that was the world's largest dump truck. Only one was ever built, and when the mine was shut down, the truck was sold to a company in Canada, and operated until the spare parts began to run out. Now it's on display in the town where it last operated. (I forget the name, but I got to see it while driving trucks up there - and got my picture taken with it!) Edit: Sparwood, B.C., Canada.
Kaiser Steel Mill is correct
Very cool trip thru the desert, thanks for sharing this
Glad you enjoyed it.
How could anybody not like this vid👍😎
RIGHT!
Interesting that the USAF stopped you, as that range belongs to the Navy!
It's the Chocolate Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range, and it's where the original "Top Gun" combat scenes were filmed.
I used to go target shooting off of I-10 and Red Cloud Rd., between 1989-2002, and was buzzed by F-14's, A-4's, F-18's, OV-10's, A-6/7's, and even the odd C-130, while playing out there.
The area where I would shoot was about 6 miles south of the freeway - just a tad inside the edge of the range, and while I was never stopped by the military, one of the last times I was out there, I was finally approached by a federal Ranger, that checked to make sure my rifles were legal (and they were...and a bit collectible - and to my surprise, his book that he used to check serial numbers told him that!)
I'd occasionally see him out there over the years, maybe 4 or 5 times. He only stopped the one time, because I was parked about 50 yards off the trail - a no-no. I did this all the time out there, but during the Clinton years, he was told to enforce it! I was never cited, though, as I always cleaned up all my spent casings, and all my targets and trash, hence why he never said hello before.
I thought it was strange too. They had a white pick-up truck with U.S.A.F. insignias on it. They (2 of them) were dressed in civilian clothes with side arms. They did have U.S.A.F. military I.D.'s (because I asked to see them). Thanks for your comments and your support!
@@therocketscientist0000 The aerial gunnery range is south of I-10: if that's where you were approached. I'm not sure if that rail line cuts through the range, but if it does - and you plan another trip along that line, you could possibly try calling the Duty Officers at North Island NAS, or maybe MCAS El Centro & Twentynine Palms, and see if they have anything going on, the day you plan on being there.
As for the USAF...I'm guessing they had some sort of joint training exercise going on, unless they've taken over that range (I don't think they have)...kinda odd for them to be out there in a pickup truck, unless they were testing something, and didn't want attention.
@@Britcarjunkie Thanks for the info.
this is an awesome ride
You guys are the official track inspectors. All one has to do is watch your video to know whether the track is good or bad.
O.T.I.
Now there's something new I've never seen before. That looks like a heck of a lot of fun on a lot of different levels. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it.
ive ridden lotsa different motorcyles,,,and many times on trail motorcycles on abandoned track.I find its good riding once you get past 30 mph the bumpy ties smooth out,,,and if i need to hit the side slopes or off into the woods or timber i can. be sure to let folks know where you went to so you can be found if missing. And i always take ham radio HT so i can most times hit repeaters on mountain tops if needed.
What a classic video idea, & the fishlens camera was a magnificent way to start. Hat's off to our "Flyboys". Thank you for serving our country. What an exciting experience this must have been. Right from the getgo, I was concerned for your over~all safety. Those chairs, I didn't think they could handle the weight. What with the added pressure of G-force. Then there was the concern of you tipping over at the curves & speeds you moved at. Loved it
Glad you liked it! Thanks!
Out of all the hobo channels I have seen this is definitely the most unique LOL
I'm glad you liked it!
Wonderful, really enjoying this, I could easily become a full timer at this! How does one go about getting permission to ride the abounded rail section?
@@djc120834 it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission
The roadbed built up so high and for such as long distance!!!! Amazing hasn’t eroded!!! Not much rain there!!!!
Not much at all!
Probably done against sand dunes buildup.
Is that track made with welded/ribbon rail? I don't hear the clack clack from your wheels running across joints between the rails
Who needs a round-house anyhow? I will use this here jack...Cool! This is on my bucket list for sure! Love it! This is real adventure.
Good luck with yours! It's a blast!
@@therocketscientist0000 what do you think of the ideeee of long axles so you can at least put a pin through hub and axle at a couple of locations so you can move wheels on one side out at different distances on axles for different gauge track??
@@bill45colt Might work.
Suggestion: Aluminum bars in front corners will push brush off too sides, and a piece of plexiglass would be helpfull for the front. Have a nice day !!
Great suggestion! Thanks for your support!
What a great trip that was! A recent vid says the rails are gone now. What a shame. Greed has no bounds...
I'm glad I got to ride them before they were removed.
great trail for trail motorcycle
Thank you so much for putting this on video, so sad they tore it all out
You're welcome.
Great videos but could you please turn the closed captions on for us hearing impaired people? Thanks!!!
O.K., I'll try.
As far as I know, you turn them on from your end. No one has ever bought this issue to me before.
All that track is gone, now. I have never understood why a RR company would ever through good money after bad in order to pull up abandoned tracks.
They wanted to put the area back to once it was after using it for 80 years.. I commend them for that.
What a great way to explore the country side.
Yes, it is.
Damn,that bush with the knarly spikes would have ripped ya up had you not trimmed it! Love these speedster trips,way cool!
Thanks for your support!
I wonder why none of you guys make wheels using rubber tires with steel flanges? The noise and the rough ride of all steel would be enough for me to switch.
That's got to be so much fun riding your carts on those old railways!! I've lives around unused lines for most of my life and never thought of that before. I'm jealous for sure but keep having fun!! 👍👍
My wheels are polypropylene and are smooth and quiet. I've seen other guys use the type of wheels you're talking about frequency.
Fantastic Voyage! Incredible Journey! I loved every second of that ride! I don't know about the east side but I would think this west ride is more scenic with all of the oasis greenery through the 'palm corridor' and that HUGE massive 'monster' palm at around 17:00.
I have two videos of the Eagle Mountain Railroad (EMMR) in my playlist of videos. It shows that the east side is a lot better than the west side (more to see, including the Salt Creek Trestle).
@@therocketscientist0000 OK great, thanks! I'll have to check it out. I can probably safely assume you didn't go beyond the washed out section after the trestle. Just think if you could make it all the way to the mine. That place looks really spooky on Google Earth.
Years ago, when the track was still there (past the washed out area), my friend rode his rail cart all the way to the mine several times. He said he went 50 mph!
@@therocketscientist0000 That is truly incredible! Man, they should have walking tours of that steel mill and the ghost town. I would definitely pay to see it.
The palms only grew because of the tracks and embankment. Holding water. You get it?
-- Ah, I see that you reserved seats on the observation deck. Nice.
And you (thoughtfully) brought loppers.
This video provides no more than a glimpse of this trip's value.
-- 'Clever turning around at mid-video, not to mention the trolley conversion.
Thanks for your support!
Great ride guys, thanks 🤠🇵🇭🇺🇸
Thanks for your support!
Thans for this amazing nice video,nice train lorry/draisinne. greetings from me,Peer.
I'm glad you liked the video.
Where is the Interaction part. why didn't you put that part into video Where you were STOPPED by them.
We didn't have our camera equipment out at that time, we were driving to the "put-in" point.
That old Briggs & Stratton sure makes a lot of racket. A Honda 4 cycle and and some 100 durometer rubber on those wheels would be nice. Some guys put sails on the cars and fly like ice boats. Mostly done in Arizona and New Mexico. 80-90mph on one of those is a death wish.
This is a Briggs & Stratton clone (Harbor Freight) 4 stroker, and my polyurethane wheels are super quiet! Thanks for your comments and support!
Hey Rocket Scientist.....Great content. I love all your videos! Hello from N.E. Oregon. I am trying to find out what I can on this DIY rail speeder hobby and was thinking you could point me in a direction or two. I have an abandon rail next to my house and am wanting to build a speeder to go explore. The rail will take me through gorgeous landscape to some world class fishing...sooooooooo it would seem I not only want one of these I NEED one of these.....LOL. I hope to hear back from you.
If you don't want to build your own, go to this website to buy one: railriders.net Good luck!
Hard to tell if Railroad Tracks are truly abandoned. Yeah if there is Tracks removed before it got to a Major Mainline section in both directions then you can call the Tracks Not in use. Otherwise until all Train track Rails are Removed. No Such thing as Abandoned Tracks. As it is ALWAYS possible for Rail Company to come in and do repairs if needed, add tracks if needed and reuse them if needed.
@@ChakatNightspark I can confirm it is abandon and is actually listed as so on a couple of web sites I found. Thank you for your post. Everything helps! Cheers!
@@brettsgalaxyvids Are they Official Websites from your Town/City and or From the Railroad Company Themselves? Otherwise Any Website can List Tracks down as abandoned if they have been used for a long time. EVEN if they have Trees and brush covering them. They can still be owned by the Railroad Company and Could be Cleared and USED at any time at all.
About 10 miles from me, There was Tracks that hadnt been used for some 75- 80 years. People even pushed dirt over the tracks in some areas so they could have a bigger backyard. Some had sheds over the area. Well back in 2018. Railroad Company Came in and started clearing everything out. They did give people 24 hour Notice. Day later, Machines came in, chopped down trees, removed dirt, fences, sheds, a couple above ground pools. The People couldn't do anything. Cause Railroad Company owned the Rights and the easement to it. Yes People were pissed and tried suing I think or get them to Stop. But, Work continued was fully completed in start of 2019 and is a Active Line again. So just Cause a Railroad Tracks are there, Its impossible to Tell if they are Truly Abandoned, Unless Tracks are Removed
@@ChakatNightspark Sounds like the farce that was the Arbutus Corridor in Vancouver, BC. A rail line that hadn't been used for many years that ran through some of the most expensive real-estate in Canada. Community gardens had been built and other uses by regular people as you describe. Then all of a sudden the railway company that had been given the land free 100 years ago suddenly decided they wanted to sell it and were asking an exorbitant price. City didn't budge so the rail company started clearing the overgrowth, destroying the gardens and threatened that the line would be returned to use for "storage and training purposes". Their thinking was that the owners of the surrounding houses would force the city to settle. Didn't happen and a reasonable settlement with restricted uses for the land was reached. It's now a cycle path and greenway.
Regular time this is really interesting to me, how do you go about finding abandoned railroad tracks.
You tube videos and word of mouth from my other railcart buddies.
SO , SO COOL ZIPPING ALONG AN OLD UN UNUSED RAILROAD TRACK ❗❗
Have you considered adding a sail as a 2nd source of propulsion?
That would be awesome.
Thanks for your support!
If you do decide to try wind wagon style, a brake upgrade would be in order.
the navy might let you in then
I use a battery operated electric hedge trimmer to clear our trails of overgrowth.
I got a real nice battery operated pruning shear after this ride. I've been using them ever since. Thanks for your support.
Tracks have since been removed
Unfortunately they have.
The jack is brilliant!
Thanks
@@therocketscientist0000 Seriously, all the carts I've seen in video, they're struggling to life and turn around. Imagine if it was automatic, at th e push of a button, descend, raise, turn around, lower, and you're off!
According to Wikipedia this rail line was scheduled to be completely removed by the end of 2023. This video predates that work. I'd be curious to know if any of it still exists here in 2024.
No, unfortunately it is all gone now.
Amazing back-in-the--day experience! Thanks for posting.
❤
Thanks for your support
You need a better muffler. Or at least small diameter tubing turned down towards the ground. The inverter generators use that same engine, but with a really quiet muffler.
Great advise, thanks for your support and comment!
Looks fun but beware the next time out on your adventure you mite see a Razor with track wheels on it coming up fast😁👍love the video.
Right!
Your trailer looks a lot like mine. I change the tires when we un load and tow it behind my Rail Runner with our camp gear and grub. It's great for hauling crap we find and pulls so easy , you should try it. I have a small camper shell to put on it, but I want it to pop up to sleep under. An electric start motor has 12-V charging and think about all the cool stuff you can charge up -Rex
This trailer was purchased as a kit, but I had to modify it a lot to work with my speeder. Sounds like you have yours under control.
@@therocketscientist0000 Just re set the axle width and slip on 2 rail wheels and take it with you.
Hola ThecRocket, buenas noches.
Que lindo video que se filmaron.
Lo disfrute mucho.
Me imagino le preocupación y luego la impotencia, de encontrarse con la patrulla y les impidieran continuar viaje.
Muchas gracias por estar ahi para registrarlo todo y compartirlo con todos nosotros.
Buen trabajo. Sigan adelante.
¡Gracias por su apoyo!
@@therocketscientist0000 De nada. Ustedes se lo merecen. Sigan adelante.
Kana tabuto kapito metato putata!
How does trespassing and such work with this? Must be abandoned rail lines I assume?
Abandoned then, totally gone now!
Cool the amount of fill to make that track. Wow
I know, right.
Very cool Mr. RS.......you would think that the old rail line would have been posted and signed by the USN?
Right?
Just watched another person on same line. He started where you had lunch. I followed it all the way to the mine from there and it looked pretty bad shape further up.. also nothing on google maps showing it is a bombing range. Lots of Jeep pictures though under the trestles.
It’s amazing the track is still intact with out proper maintenance. Battery power would be ideal, with mechanical motor as back up. Cool ride.
I'm working on one (48 volt)
I’m wondering how big of a solar unit you can carry with you and continues to charge battery for the day.
@@BLADE9118 I don't know much about battery storage.
Hahaha go to UA-cam and look for that info, I’m sure it’s already been done or posted. Good luck 👍🏽
I'm thinking battery/pedal hybrid, only use the battery for cruising.
Love the wild desert palms. A little oasis. Wouldn't drink the water though 🌴 🏜
Nope!
Great video this had to be a lot of fun.
But you didn't get stopped by any Navy security which is a good thing for you Iam waiting for your next video
We got stopped when we were driving in (we didn't film it). I thought that they were Air Force, but they turned out to be Navy Range Patrol.
If you hadn't sold it,you could have tried something like the reverse of high railers,instead of lower-able steel wheels you could have fabricated lower-able pneumatic tires,to get you to the next good track,looked like a small gap.
It was.
id like to have a rail cart,,,but til then,,,,ive found a good size trail motorcycle can do a fair job. Trick is to get your speed above 35 mph to smooth out the bumps of the ties. And you have to watch carefully for missing ties on trestles. If one tie is missing, you are ok at 40mph but more than that and you will have to do some emergency braking, back up and ride down the roadbed side and up again once past the creek.
@@bill45colt i do a similar type thing with my atv/quad... my tires just barely fit between the rails; within a few inches of the spikes that are coming up more & more every day... I have to be really careful... we have a section of abandoned rail, cutoff from civilization by a tunnel collapse 4 miles to the south and a river mudslide washout about 8 miles to the north of our place in Northern California...
I was stopped at the point of 50cal, jeep mounted, machine gun by USAF! Our uncle took us to local yearly air show in Klamath Falls, but to our amazement it started tomorrow not today. We were walking around flight line checking out planes, close an personal an almost got shot for spies!
These guys had side arms, but were friendly to us, just told us to leave.
Made a wrong turn when leaving a base where I was teaching a tech class for IBM… turned around when the automatic weapons appeared. Oops! Sorry! Don’t shoot me please.
Is this the Eagle Mountain Railroad near Desert Center California? We lived in Desert Center in the early '60's. My dad had the restaurant there.
Same place!
Enjoyed the ride along...
At 2X speed..🤣
You guy's were flyin..
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very cool reminds me of an old Canadian Buster Keaton film.😊👍👍👍✌
Yes, I think it was called "The Rail Rodder". Thanks for your support!
Imagine the guys discovering a vehicle in the middle of nowhere and puzzling where those people went? And then; o wait, the railroad tracks! How many miles did you guys cover that day?
Maybe around 10, we didn't pay too close of attention, we were just having fun.
I was wondering when I was going to see someone stop and trim up some bushes.. I would be tempted to get one of those electric chain saws on a pole..lol.. nice video...
Since this video was shot, I did buy an electric Purner and it works 1000 times better than the manual ones. Thanks for your support!
Awesome video every boys childhood dream lol
It was my dream, thanks for your support!
neat Swampy piece on the side of that shack
I know, right.
That view is amazing
Glad you liked it.
Really neat video, but all I kept thinking was put a better muffler on that thing
You really can't hear it when you are riding it.
I would pay for a ride on the cart. This is awesome!
How much would you pay? LOL!
Strange...no signs ? Any bombing range I ever saw was posted up big time,regardless of how remote,good show looks like a great spot to explore by rail . I would work out a brush guard of sorts angled forward, with plexiglas to keep brush from impaling you lightweight aluminum frame ? Just a thought,present method works. Thanks for sharing,here where I live (upstate New York) it’s hard to find a line you could run.the ones I know of are way to short to bother with. We’ll be watching for more. !
There were signs, but I didn't film them.
@@therocketscientist0000 makes sense now that I think about it .filming them was unimportant.looking forward to more ! How about a mention of distance a little more. It’s hard to guess with a camera shot,but when you show those mountains in the distance They must be several miles at least . Thanks again. .
Awesome video and landscape. Don't run out of gas in the middle of the desert.
Thanks.... I won't!
And water too....lol
This was a super cool video!! I was going back and forth from your video, then pause, then Google maps. Do you have another video going towards the other end? I see some sorta yard there and even a few train cars here and there. Some huge wash out too at the end near that yard. Love this idea!! I have a kubota x900 buggie, I want to build or buy a rail kit for it and ride some rails. Brooksville Florida here. We have old rails around here too. .... looks like you guys where on System Road. Looks like a really cool water way thing with another trestle and then Gas Line Road.
Yes, I have, go to my channel and look up "Eagle Mountain Railroad" under my playlist and you'll find many videos going the other way.
@@therocketscientist0000 cool!! I will do that. These are really cool. On map it looks like a huge area covered up by sand just after the big trestle area.
You should attach two strimmers with the metal blades either side to trim all the bushes back
Good Idea.
Well that title was miss leading. You never got stopped by the USAF
We did get stopped. It was explained at the beginning of the video, it just wasn't recorded because we were in our vehicle at the time.
where did this line go from too? When where the sleepers get renewed?
The line went from the Kaiser Steel Mines to the main railroad.
Cool video, lame click bait headline. You didn’t get stopped on video... People are clicking on this to see that and you know it.
We were stopped, we didn't film it, but we did talk about it on camera. What did you expect, guns being drawn on us?
I expect the headline of the video I’m watching to match the content. Otherwise it is by definition, clickbait. 🙄
@@xanaxsnax We were stopped, we didn't film it, but we did talk about it on camera.
That looks like so much fun!! But what happens when the 9.15 to Sudbury comes through the other way?
Good luck?
That looks like so much fun 😊
It is! Thanks for your Support!
It'a FREE COUNTRY, Ypu can go where you want, and it NOT a military installation.
You got that right!
Nice railcar and good video
Thanks for your support!
Need to spend some time clearing. It looks like fun!
Doesn't matter now, the tracks are all gone now.
1 hour and 10+ minutes of an un-inspiring endless wasteland....
You have to learn how to appreciate the desert, it's beautiful!
Would love to make a machine like your rail cart but the real problem is the rails near where I am had a good washing out with the rains of winter, 1996. The rains took out the best part of the trip at the Scotia Bluffs near Rio Dell, California. Plenty of rails and a few tunnels according to google earth but unable to get thru the Scotia Bluffs after the rains took out the trestles. The rails are part of the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) headquartered in Eureka, California. To make matters worse, most of the rails are covered with 20plus year old trees.
Most places I ride will be in that same condition soon enough!
Get your mates together and an old JCB and build the track bed up to the rails again.
Are you the same guy that tied weather balloons to a lawn chair and launched somewhere around southern California ?
No, but that sounds like fun!
This is around the Chocolate Mountain NAVAL gunnery range.....none of the Track is on their land or jurisdiction. The Navy like to ACT like it is though. You may get run off by the Kaiser folks but the Navy has no say. The Bradshaw Trail runs along the Tracks for many mile to the Colorado River in Blyth if you ever want to explore it and is all legal.
I know, they just want to be a bully!
I imagine you are talking about the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, a good place not to be unless you're up in a fighter jet or a bomber.
Yea, that's what I'm talking about. You know, the Keiser Steel trains have been running along aside the bombing range for decades, they never stopped them, why can't I do the same? Thanks for your support and comment.
@@therocketscientist0000, most likely they ran on a schedule that the military scheduled their bombing times around, and those Range Patrol officers announced when the train was coming and when it cleared the range, as a safeguard. Unfortunately, you weren't on the schedule and you didn't have the political clout of a railroad. BTW, I've been a civilian contractor for military weapons tests, and unless I was part of the testing I wouldn't go near a bombing range on a bet. The flyboys aren't always quite as careful as we'd like to think they are. New pilots, new things to test, equipment malfunctions, etc. Shit happens. That's why they have real big areas to practice in.
Ever since I was a kid in the 1960's camping in Canada with my folks and I saw an abandoned railroad track that had been used for logging until it grew unprofitable, headed due north a few hundred miles toward the Arctic tundra I've wanted to get a little gas-powered cart with a camping shell on it and head north as far as I could manage for a couple of weeks in the summer, and just hang out in the peace and quiet by some lake 100 miles from anyone. Then fire it back up and head back south to civilization again. I guess that's why I'm attracted to videos like yours.
That makes sense, you're probably right.
You need to let brush lopper cut . Don’t yank them till they cut. That’s why you had to cut a couple times to get through
It was very dull
Hey guys use an ATV power unit electric starter ,plus forward and reverse trans , don't have to turn around and goes just as fast ,just turn seats around .
Thanks for the suggestions!
fantastic, but have you thought about placing an electric drive source on it. it would run almost silent. On a sun cover you could mount a 200 to 400 watt solar panel as the sun cover to constantly recharge the lithium iron battery so you never have to fuel up again. silence is golden. keep looking up
That's a great idea!
I’m building an electric rig myself 😬
Boat lift or trailer lift center mechanism great idea!
Works well.
I’m quite surprised you’re not carrying a Battery Powered Mini Chainsaw.
I later carried an electric pruning shear which worked great!
I think I am going to build a battery operated solar power one. No annoying engine noise
Sounds good.
nice and exciting video, everything is bigger in the USA,
but do youI got an explanation from the U.S.A.F as to why you were only allowed to drive west,
there probably wasn't a sign
They didn't want us to get close to the bombing range, which is stupid because the railroad ran next to the bombing range for decades.
I have been working on a rail speeder a couple years now using a 12 hp generator and 2 variable speed electric motors for drives jus got to find somewhere to run it on
Sounds like a quiet powerful rail cart! Ely, NV is the only place I rode my railcart that was legal.
@@therocketscientist0000
Is this illegal in the US ?
@@BillSikes. Not if you have permission.
@@therocketscientist0000 why not just buy a old Fairmont or Woodings then join NARCOA...once you pass the test and are mentored, then you can operate on many mainline tracks all over the country on organized excursions
@@Island_Line_Rail_Productions I know guys who have Fairmonts and belong to NARCOA, but I just wanted to see if I could build my own. I'm glad I did it.
You'd think they would put a warning sign up to indicate bomb range ahead on other track
They do, but the bombing range is several hundred yards away from the railroad tracks.
Ahhhhhhh, Que Belleza de video que paseo me acaban de regalar con avistamiento de F 16,mil gracias, un abrazo
Me alegro de que te haya gustado.
You should go to the very end and show where the track used to connect to the main line
That would be too close to 111.
beautyful nature there. take one chain saw with you,lol.
Next time, yes.
I would be drinking beer the whole way while enjoying it at a slower place . Idk what then desert trees are - but they are kool
Ocotillo trees
@@therocketscientist0000 Thankz Man -
Ran it to the mine on a Fairmont in the 90s. There was a Fairmont in a shed up at the mine.
That must of been fun, I never made it past the Salt Creek Trestle because of the wash-out. My friend has a Fairmont, they are really cool.
@@therocketscientist0000 We also ran the SD & AE, and an abandoned SP branch thru Lone Pine Inyokern area near Owens Dry Lake
@@johnhirtle4300 Cool, I've never been on that one.
Nice run.
Retraced your ride on google maps. Saw the shed where you had lunch. Nearby where the tracks would’ve joined the main line, the map is marked Ferrum. Was there a town there in the past?
Regardless, your cart is great.
I think the town was called Salton City?
ferrum was the junction, its
a play on "fe" (iron)
Ferrum is the name the Southern Pacific gave the Siding for the main line there. The town nearby is called North Shore....I am from there myself and rode the line on my Dirt Bike even when the Kaiser train still ran daily!
If your machine broke down, you going to walk back?
I had to do that once.
Wow, what is the range that you get with that? Very nice indeed!
About 50 miles per tank.
So how do you like those polyurethane wheels? I assume they are the 12 inch ones? I ordered the 17” queens a month ago for an electric powered cart I’m building!
3000w motor 72v platform so ideally when I cruise it’ll be relatively quiet 😬
Excellent video’s and work!
The wheels (12") are great, never had any problems with them cracking or breaking in any way. They are also quiet. Link me your videos of your electric rig when you finished with it!
Imagine the coincidence of having hedge trimmers with you on that contraption and running into a bush lol! Just send the bill to the railroad company!
I was told in advance to bring them because there was a lot of brush.
I think the fact it’s an active firing range, rather than simply the presence of range patrol, may be the real reason you couldn’t go the way you wished...this video was very ‘murricah!
Could be?
Seems plausible to me. The Navy really doesn't want people getting blown up, imagine the paperwork!
@@SgtChip When you look at topo maps, the railroad tracks do not enter into government property at all. Kaiser Steel ran trains on this same track for decades. No trains got blown up as far as I know.
@@therocketscientist0000 Oh. Then who knows what the Navy is doing there.
@@SgtChip Who knows?
Those bushes looked dangerous !! I could see the thorns !! They could do some hurt !! What are those bushes called ? Also, where is this at ??
I don't what kind they are, but they sure did have thorns! This video was taken at the Eagle Mountain Railroad by the Salton Sea, California.
The same type palms we have in middle to southern Alabama on down to north Florida. Not far from being a desert.
It's funny how the same palm trees can grow in two different locations so far apart.
Arizona and western CA are home to a limited number of native palm trees.