is it illegal to.....

[0TransAm0]

Walk along the train tracks and pick up old spikes and plates that are sitting on the side/in the ditch? My uncle is a welder and will be making stuff out of them/repurposing them and what not. And what he doesnt use I will take in for scrap. It all depends on the condition and what not.
He asked if id go pick up a bunch I just don't feel like going to jail while im helping him out.
Thanks,mike.

[DirtyMax]

Technically, you're trespassing on railroad property and the spikes are still their property/on their property.

[wrath]

Someone probably already beat you to them. And yes, it's illegal.

[michelle]

I'll consider it fair game behind my house if you want to travel this way and look. The railroad won't take responsibility for the down wires from the old communication poles/wires, so they obviously don't care about "their" property. My logic > law.

[jbiscuit]

its not illegal unless you get caught. Just know that they have been doing some work on those tracks off and on in Franksville...

[UnderPSI]

Definitely illegal. I have train tracks running past my storage facility. Some guys were arrested for taking the OLD railroad ties. They put a bunch of new ones in, and there was a pile of rotted old ones and some guys stopped to grab them and I believe they ended up going to jail for it. The RR's aren't people to mess with.

[brotherbenn83]

Not to mention the constant threat of being raped by hobos.

[Gregor]

there is a reason why railroad cops are called railroad dicks. It is highly illegal to remove any property next to the tracks or on the tracks. Sad really the spikes make the best autobody dollies.


We would almost always trigger them coming out if our service trucks were within 20 feet of the rail bedrock. And then the drama would start.

[fivonut]

Keep in mind that a lot of the tracks are owned by Canadian National and the land is considered sovereign land owned by Canada. Stealing anything or trespassing can carry a more than just a simple slap on the wrist.

[wrath]

Years ago I was out wheeling and stumbled across to some RR inspectors. They were stuck, they decided to try to turn around instead of waiting 6 or 7 miles to the next crossing. They were dicks about the whole thing and they were the ones trespassing (they were trying to turn around and bad got worse so they ended up on private property, outside of the RR easement). I told them I'd have extracted them if they weren't douchebags. Instead I took pictures of them in their douchebaggery. I was fine with it as I didn't want the liability and it probably would have taken me 5-6 hours of winching without going on the grade.

I later found out that this was day 2 or 3 I stumbled across them. They didn't want to leave it unattended because it'd get looted (and it would have). Apparently some time later the operator dropped off a backhoe (one of those neat ones that they drive up on top of the cars) to pull it out.

[Irish]

Why are they such dicks?

[wrath]

They're probably tired of people leaving junk on the tracks to "see what happens," people stealing railroad cross ties, stealing spikes, tampering with equipment, et cetera.

[The Shaolin]

There's been several occasions where I've wondered if something was legal...

I just cut the crap and hearsay and call the police department. They'll explain it over the phone no problem. Better off asking before than after...