Trains.com

ROW Trash

1844 views
5 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2010
  • 275 posts
ROW Trash
Posted by travelingengineer on Thursday, May 5, 2011 2:32 PM
Am I the only frequent passenger that is saddened, if not also angered, by the considerable residential trash that is deposited along ROWs, especially at country road crossings and in scenic and bubblin' brooks? I noticed this a couple of weeks ago more prevalent along the Capitol Limited route. Sure would be great if some organization or ad hoc neighborhood group would "Adopt a ROW," much like the "Adopt a Highway" program or the clean the beach/river days. Do such projects exist for ROWs? (Don't get me started on the curse of graffiti !!)
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 8,156 posts
Posted by henry6 on Thursday, May 5, 2011 2:46 PM

Think your saddened and otherwise angered...you should see the delay reports on the NYC subways, and the LIRR commuter lines where service is often stopped and equipment damaged because of  it.

 

RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Hilliard, Ohio
  • 1,139 posts
Posted by chatanuga on Friday, May 6, 2011 11:07 AM

I still remember in either late 1996 or early 1997 when I was living up to Bowling Green, Ohio and a southbound Conrail freight came to a stop at the red signal across the street from my place.  The dispatcher told him that the next block was showing occupied but wasn't supposed to be, allowing the crew to creep past the signal at restricted speed.  Turned out that somebody had left a big trash dumpster on the tracks.  Another issue that came up around that time was the IDE scanners there in town by the BGSU campus.  The track goes between two student parking lots with the scanners and electronics shed about three or four vehicle lengths from the crossing.  Students would park about three or four cars in that access lane next to the tracks, blocking access for the Conrail signal crews.  Eventually, the university put out a notice that people were not to park there, and people stopped parking there once cars started getting towed.  People just don't seem to care.

Kevin

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • 4,557 posts
Posted by Convicted One on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 12:59 PM

travelingengineer
Am I the only frequent passenger that is saddened, if not also angered, by the considerable residential trash that is deposited along ROWs, especially at country road crossings and in scenic and bubblin' brooks?

 

Unfortunately, that is a two way street.  I get tired of seeing buckets of rusty spikes, frayed air hoses,  and derelict ties conveniently shoved by the wayside along major rights of way.

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: South Dakota
  • 1,592 posts
Posted by Dakguy201 on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 8:44 AM

I have a very hard time believing any railroad would encourage the public to be on its right of way for any purpose.   To do so is to encourage the idea that sometimes it is safe to be there, and what they want to communicate is exactly the opposite.

  • Member since
    September 2008
  • 1,112 posts
Posted by aegrotatio on Friday, May 27, 2011 10:25 PM

I agree, private property is private property.

Amtrak conducted a major clean-up of the Northeast Corridor over the past five years or so.  They cleaned up decades-old trash, like mattresses (mattresses!!) thrown out the back windows of tenaments adjacent to the ROW, that I used to see in Metroliner II days.

 

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy