Abandoned rail lines

[samoyed1958]

Have this idea going of an abandoned single rail line running through some of the older sections of my city and also to use in a couple of washed out river sences in the mountains. Looking for a single track type rail line, maybe even a spur line thats broken. And possibly some old looking shacks. And some broken single track rail bridges. Thanks

[Nardo69]

Depending on how long your railway is abandoned and the climate and flora of your town you might find everything you need in the RRP and the different Mayor Mode trees.

Usually in Middle Europe an abanondoned RR line will disappear after 2 years in the jungle of mother Nature. So a good Idea would be terraforming a railway line (maybe even with railway and an adequate Slope mod), demolish it and then paint it green with the rrp.

Such overgrown RR Line have a special flora since all the gravel and drainage systems necessary for running the RR line will also keep the abanondoned RR line rather dry. However the first trees on abandoned RR lines and areas are usually birch trees followed by bushes (and they grow rather fast).

Signals etc. will disappear, sheds, well, as a deep RR loving persons I can see a building and say yes, this was connected to a RR line even if the RR line closed for decades but I am aware that according to this I am rather an exception from the rule.

If the RR line has been closed a long time ago it is usually completely gone inside any seddlements by new houses, roads, bicycle trails, etc. (I know some RR lines that have been closed decades ago because the stations were too far away from the seddlements but by now the stationareas are surrounded completely by new houses ... )

[Kitsune]

If the RR line has been closed a long time ago it is usually completely gone inside any seddlements by new houses, roads, bicycle trails, etc. (I know some RR lines that have been closed decades ago because the stations were too far away from the seddlements but by now the stationareas are surrounded completely by new houses ... )

This happened north of Toronto... they have now reactivated the rail line and are running a commuter train on it.

[vester]

Even after years the RRs close and the track you can still see it.
Sometimes on satellite photos you can see traces of where the old track has gone:


The old trace comes sot the lower right corner going over the fields and curve back toward the middle of the top.

[rooker1]

Nardo69 is our resident expert when it comes to rail lines and it looks like he has given you some very sound advice.


Bernhard (Nardo69), is that what we need to say to get you to appear....."Abandoned rail lines"?  It's great to see you, hope all is well.  I may have to make up some rail threads to keep you here.

Robin

[samoyed1958]

wow great images and information there. lots to look up now and more to read. I had comletelty forgotten about the rail signals will try to look for those too. thanks again. being from the north east you see alot of old rail not used anymore. had an uncle when I was little made his home from a signal tower. at the time was the coolest place to hang out. Will also look for more RRP material.

[mike3775]

I was sad when I was 10 and the 4 major rail lines at the time all agreed to get rid of a switching tower that had been built in 1893 in my area.  It was always manned 24/7/365 up until I was 9, and the railroads switched it to a computerized system.  I miss the days of being able to ride my bike to the place and the operator always letting the kids come in and watch them switch the tracks depending on where they were going(on average a train hits that junction every 15 minutes), and I miss John, who used to let kids do the switching when his boss wasn't around, it was fun top do something that "adults" get to do with trains as a 9-10 yr old boy.  I was always going to that place, that when my parents couldn't find me around the house, they would call them to tell me to get home.  Here are some old pics of it.  The two towns that the rail lines serve as boundary for, both tried to get the tower designated a historical landmark, but the feds said it didnt fir the criteria and that allowed the railroads to tear it down, when the towns wanted to jointly run it as a museum since at the time, those types of railroad buildings were going away as they were modernized with technology

Some old pics I found online of it

The first three are from a wreck that killed 37 people in 1921
(http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/Stories/DisasterAtPorter1921.htm )



circa 1906

circa 1981

circa 1977


This junction was recently part of the US Govt's high speed rail corridor plan, only problem is this junction is maxed out and cannot handle any more traffic.