geezus, I had no idea! So, the front windows are bullet proof for good reason! You had good reason to get spooked. I bet that feeling didn't go away any time soon after that, if at all ever! That's for sharing that!
Hunting on train tracks?
- Thread starter hawk-i
- Start date
geezus, I had no idea! So, the front windows are bullet proof for good reason! You had good reason to get spooked. I bet that feeling didn't go away any time soon after that, if at all ever! That's for sharing that!
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
We walked the tracks for miles when we were kids. In our teen years we hunted the ditches on either side for cottontails and pheasants. Our fathers often joined us. We always stayed off the tracks themselves though except to cross bridges.
I am a switchman/conductor out of Symington in Winnipeg. The hump is an incredible thing. 100 cars an hour when things are busy. We kick cars regularly when we flat switch, but mostly when we have retarders or into bowls. We don't drop cars anymore, need three guys to do it right (although with the beltpacs it's possible with two guys).
To the original point of this thread, railways and the right of way next to them are private property. Hunting is not allowed and someone would be looking at some nasty fines and/or seizures if they were caught. Rcmp does attend these calls and the CN police works very closely with RCMP/Municipal forces. When I'm on the road, I've seen some really stupid things. A guy committed suicide in front of my train. Guy just ran out at a crossing, and stood in the centre of the tracks. You can't stop. My train was 9000 tons and you just don't stop 9000 tons moving at 35 miles per hour very quickly. It affects you. Changes the way you think about things and there isn't a day where I wish that wouldn't have happened. About a year later, I was going through portage la Prairie and saw something next to the tracks. As we got closer, we could see it was some idiot lying next to the rails with his phone out so he could take a selfie. His head was right on the ties. Scared the hell out of me. We must have missed this ass by inches. That just made me re live the original experience and I was pretty freaked out for a day or two after. Best advice to anyone would be stay the hell away from the tracks. Anytime, anywhere.
My "step" grandfather checked out by waiting for the train in Stratton Ontario then driving in front of it a few years back. Horrible experience, and I have always wondered how the fellows are that were on that train. His son was also an engineer....
I have seen my share of railway accidents and mayhem simply by living near busy crossings. Trains are to be respected, one little mistake and the poor guys on the train can only watch.
I have seen my share of railway accidents and mayhem simply by living near busy crossings. Trains are to be respected, one little mistake and the poor guys on the train can only watch.
I don't care who you are, respect trains and tracks, they are much bigger than you and will always win. It's amazing the amount of accidents that have happened and the person didn't see it coming. For something so big, it sure can sneak up on ya!!!!
Kinda makes one wonder how many animals the trains kill each year!
I've heard rumors that between Prince George and Prince Rupert its in the 100's each year. I know for a fact one of the local trucking companies got 18 moose in one season....I think the deer are a little smarter than the moose when it comes to trains.
I will say tho, I do think our provinces and the rail companies should be building safe access for pedestrians to a great many recreation spots throught the country. Maybe it's not an issue elsewhere but in BC , there are countless popular fishing areas only accessable by crossing the rail and trespassing and that's not right. Access for pedestriians should be mandatory where ever the rail cuts people's access to utilized crown land.
I'm with the lad above.
I live in Kamloops and we have a body of water called Kamloops Lke.
Not a frick'n boat launch owned by the city on this lake.
Pioneer Park has a boat launch and so does Mac Park, but it's on the Thompson River.
The only other hint was over at the old Tranquille School on the north east side.
Been bought out and gated off.
Folks have parked over by the old pig farm and hiked the tracks and through the railway
tunnel to fish the north side of the lake.
Never seen or heard of any trespassing charges of said walkers.
I'd lay a stink if I was ever charged.
Need to go out on the lake come good weather and take me camera along
the track edges and see if anythings been done with the chit and feathers along there.
I live in Kamloops and we have a body of water called Kamloops Lke.
Not a frick'n boat launch owned by the city on this lake.
Pioneer Park has a boat launch and so does Mac Park, but it's on the Thompson River.
The only other hint was over at the old Tranquille School on the north east side.
Been bought out and gated off.
Folks have parked over by the old pig farm and hiked the tracks and through the railway
tunnel to fish the north side of the lake.
Never seen or heard of any trespassing charges of said walkers.
I'd lay a stink if I was ever charged.
Need to go out on the lake come good weather and take me camera along
the track edges and see if anythings been done with the chit and feathers along there.
Isn't that what cabooses were for? Engine radios back when they see the "game" shooter in top windows drops said game? Lol.
There is an old caboose or three here turned into cabins or living quarters. I miss the old days when the railways used such things.
There is an old caboose or three here turned into cabins or living quarters. I miss the old days when the railways used such things.
The moose kill between PR and PG varies from year to year. Snow pack up high and temperature seem to be that main deciding factors. We tried putting up reflectors in bad spots, did not seem to make a difference. I put those deer horns on some flexible magnets and put them on my unit nose. Kept a log and hit just as many with as without the horns. Best personal stat was a whole winter with only two. Worst year there were trips with two kills each way on occasion. You do get them during summer but way less. They blow through the page wire fences like they weren't there. Generally get more at night. The drill was shut off your lights and wait until you could not see them in front of the nose. Then lay on the horn. The idea was to spook them right or left. It did work on occasion. It feels like hitting a big dog with a pickup. The deer seem to know to get off the track and while we did hit them it was a much lower occurrence. Bears we hit but not often, mostly spring when they were still stupid. Eagles get smoked because they eat too much road kill and wait too long to take off. Hit two wolves over my career but they were caught in a bad place. CN worked with Fish and Wildlife on the moose kill but never really established any positive way to reduce the kill.
Totally agree with the sentiment that the railways should provide safe access through their property. People are going to go anyway, might as well make it as safe as possible. There is a railroad bridge where the Telkwa joins the Bulkey that has a public access bridge attached to it. Everyone used that bridge to access a fishing hole until one day a couple of my workmates killed a kid. After a lot of back and forth the walkway was put in place. This shows it can be done. It was a major effort by the union and the public. The railroad finally caved. They want no part of any liability.
Worst place I recall seeing for kills along the rails was beside the highway outside Swift Current, where you could usually count on seeing a couple antelope greased on the right of way. At one pass through there I counted 9 different animals. Messy!
Cheers
Trev
Cheers
Trev
