Does crossing the track damage it in anyway? If not, it seems pointless and wrong to enforce this when the railroads were given right a ways across private and public lands.

Keith

Moosetrot I feel you're pain.
I grew up literally boxed in by railroad tracks. Actually walked the railroad tracks to school many times. That track is now I hiking trail. Hunted along tracks, fished along tracks. We got yelled at on occasion when we would jump over or God forbid crawl under a train. They regularly stopped short of the big yard, blocking the most used path to the river.

It's my belief that our getting shut out from crossing. Is the fault of the people running around taking pictures of the oh so dangerous oil trains. During the big fight over trains or pipe line and Canadian oil. There were miles long trains of oil cars coming down along the river. Seemed like every 20 -30 minutes. I personally responded to more than one report where someone said there is oil leaked on the tracks. Get there to find nothing more than the few spots you can always find in any car parking lot. The people that lived by the tracks were really complaining. All going to die in a fireball train derailment. Constant trains cracking the walls in their homes.
Those people complaining about the oil trains. Posting pictures of every little crack in a rail bridge or loose tie plate. No wonder they snuck that law change threw for big money railroad.

Mac

"Never Forget Which Way Is Up!"

The house I grew up in in Lincoln Maine when I first lived there had railroad tracks crossing our land right behind the house.

if he wants to trespass and cross the tracks that's fine with me.
However if he gets caught and fined/cited that's on him and I have no sympathy.

What matters is who's property it is and who is responsible/liable for it.
They then can make the decisions for how and if its used by others like it or not.

One of the great things about America are private property rights.

I'm really disappointed in those who want to pick and choose whose private property rights they respect, I guess its OK to ignore someone else's rights when it inconveniences you.

Its only an inconvenience if you get stopped 15 min at a crossing and you are bleeding out?

15 minutes for a firetruck to get to a burning house shouldn't matter should it?

The positive side is we need more trains, not sure electric trucks can meet demand for all sorts of products, grain and especially oil since we don't do pipelines anymore. Of coarse after we go all electric all we will need is more wires!

Some folks think any law is good and proper just because it is a law. Do not ask questions, just obey the law.

Nope.

Moosetrot

Hobo's have an unwritten privilege

Not all laws are good or even just.

Big question is this thread tho is private property rights.
Do you want to have control of your property, who can use it or access it?
Simple as that.

We can see who believes in one of the fundamental rights of Americans and who does not.

So many are willing to chuck that right out the window as soon as their ox is gored.

We can also see whose outdoor activities, including trapping, are unaffected by this decision. I'd like to hear from one Trapperman member who has had hundreds, possibly thousands, of acres of public lands and waters cut off and are equating this ruling with the fundamental rights of Americans and private property. Someone who now has their gear stowed in the garage or sold off because their days of crossing the tracks to do what they've done all their life is now over with, but, by golly, they are feeling great 'cause now they're respecting the property rights of the railroad.

Just one. Post here and tell us how good you feel about this ruling. How, before 2005, you were able to . . stop, listen, look both ways, and then tippy toe across the tracks to access public land and waters, but now . . because it's a property issue, you are no longer legally able to do so.

Any takers?

When you own property you have rights. So I guess if you buy a piece of landlocked ground you best buy a helicopter too. Or is the airspace locked as well.

Back in the 30's most people didn't lose their land because of what that owed on the land, but they couldn't pay the taxes on it. If you think you own land just don't pay the rent (tax) and then see how secure your deed is!

Minn. and the Feds gave the RR 9.9 million acres of land for tracks to be laid and then subsidized the building of the tracks. The RR has been bailed out by the tax payer many times since inception. If that's private property, I'll take some.

Yup, or government decides they need your ground for a “public purpose”. If the average person realized how fragile their actual ownership rights are there would be a demand for change. Problem is it happens to individuals and small groups usually, so no big deal to most folks.

Bunch of drama queens.Entitlement generation.
If you want to acess property across a railroad there is nothing stopping you.
The railroad grants easments across the tracks all the time.
If the road was there before the railroad went thru the railroad pays for a crossing and its maintenance.
If the railroad was first the lanowner (road owner) pays for the installation and maintenance of the crossing.

Obviously you are ignorant of the situation.

Lets hope that the Federal wildlife managers don’t restrict access to the upper Mississippi River.

it is a liability thing. to many idiots doing stupid things on RR property and getting run over then families suing the railpoad.

Do you honestly think they haven't tried? From 2006 through 2009 we fought with them during the CCP process. Hunters, trappers, anglers, and recreational users faced huge restrictions on uses of the Refuge. The issues crossed many agencies and jurisdictions. We lived, breathed and fought for access throughout the process and while we did not preserve everything, we beat them back to a large extent.

A lot has come across our kitchen table for decades...

No Boco...not drama queens or entitlement generation. Just dedicated hunters, anglers, and trappers that fight for our rights and the rights of others. Not deserving of any criticism by YOU. I would bet there are some on here that will vouch for that statement.

Moosetrot

I’m very ignorant when it comes to federal wildlife managers.

because we are dedicated anglers hunters trappers does not give you the right to trespass.( i wish it did) that attitude is in part why the rr deciided to enforce the trespass law.