"Onrushing trains are no problem since the 75-pound vehicle can be lifted off the track in a few seconds" - "In point of fact, an abandoned track almost never comes back into use. Still, it’s advisable to check with the county’s transportation authority or the nearest office of the Federal Railroad Administration before putting pedal to rail."

Yeah, boy do these articles send the wrong message to the public. As a motorcar operator, our members have run into folks doing exactly this, and with other 'rail sleds' on the rails as recently as less than a month ago on the Skunk Railroad.

While I feel sorry for the family's loss, I can NOT condone the actions of people who do this type of thing, then having the media portray this person as a champion of an illegal hobby. GRANTED, there are places that allow one to do so as mentioned in some of the articles. I personally know of one in Sweden that has a section of rail that you can rent custom rail bike or 'dressiner' to tour the line. But the statement of asking the "county’s transportation authority" or FRA if the track is in use is just a poor answer.

How about thinking of the train crew who sees something like this rounding a curve? Dynamiting a train then a possible derail? Or even as I said sanctioned motorcar operators who has the legal right to be there as seen here in this video was just a flat-out idiot for trespassing on the ROW, as well as being on pretty shiny rail.

Rail bilker at Kennedy Ford

If you partake in a hobby like this, good luck to you. You could either wind up dead or in jail with a felony charge and a $10,000.00 fine.