I understand there are at least a couple of these, on unused trackage owned by the government. Any readers been over there to try them out?

http://www.dellenbanan.nu/
ryarger@rypn.org

What a fantastic idea! I can't read Swedish, but the picture speaks for itself. Could such a thing happen in the USA - Land of 10,000,000 Lawyers?

tr2manz@frontiernet.net

A few years back a couple of individuals built a double bike arrangement with a similar idea in mind, unfortunately they decided to try it out on Mid-Continent's tracks on a normal operating day without getting permission from anyone. Last I knew, their confiscated rail "vehicle" was still locked in a shed at Mid-Continent.

Boyd

ddg14@attbi.com

That photograph reminds me of the times that I have ridden our line with a velocepede. The only difference between it and the contraption pictured is the material: wood and steel vs. modern lightweight steel and probably a fifty to seventy-five pound difference.

awalker2002@comcast.net

> I understand there are at least a couple of
> these, on unused trackage owned by the
> government. Any readers been over there to
> try them out?

Several years ago, we had a member stationed in Europe and he provided an article for our newsletter titled A Swedish Pedal Cycle-Trolley or “Dressin Järnväg” He included a picture, but I'm not sure I should post it since it included his kids. I have included a portion of his article below:

Running a short distance behind their summer home is a set of standard gauge tracks from the railway that connected Årjäng to Göteborg. This railway was originally built in the 1920’s to replace the regional canal system that also linked the region to Göteborg. The northern 55 kilometers of this line were abandoned in the mid-1980’s. Scheduled sightseeing tours run on the southern half of the line to Mellerud. Even before the northern part was abandoned folks were riding the rails on pedal powered trolleys or dressin järnväg as they are called in Swedish. Now numerous places rent these vehicles and you can combine a pedal trip with either a canoe ride or a ride on one of the canal boats that still ply the waters.

My cousin has a dressin of his own and we had the opportunity to pedal up and down the tracks. You could build up a fair head of steam without too much effort. We all took a turn as we rode through the forests, past ice-cold lakes, and fields of wild flowers. The real effort came when you either turned around or met another dressin coming your way. That meant that you had to pick the dressin up and carry it to the side.

My son had the most fun as he raced up and down the tracks. There werenÂ’t many things to worry about. You had to watch for a few road crossings and be wary of the many moose that wandered through the woods.



http://www.njmt.org
jrmay@njmt.org

I believe there are still a couple of railbike manufacturers in the US, making both the kind that adapt a regular two-wheeler and the more stable pushcart-type four-wheelers.

The chief danger in these is that some idiot will try to take a spin on the UP main and get killed. I've read sensational newspaper reports of guys with blackened faces and camo clothing trying to pedal through the night ahead of coal trains as a thrill.

My feeling is that they should not be sold for personal use, and those hat are used illegally should be confiscated. That does not mean, however, that some sort of regulated operation might be conducted over disused trackage set aside for the purpose, as is done in Sweden. That type of operation would keep the rails down for possible further use.

ryarger@rypn.org

This wheel has already been invented. Look at the motorcar hobby and NARCOA. There are many private individuals that own motorcars (I'm one) and are responsible enough to abide by the rules/laws. I suspect such a program could be expanded to the railbikes without a problem.

God Bless,
Gerald W. Kopiasz

> I believe there are still a couple of
> railbike manufacturers in the US, making
> both the kind that adapt a regular
> two-wheeler and the more stable
> pushcart-type four-wheelers.

> The chief danger in these is that some idiot
> will try to take a spin on the UP main and
> get killed. I've read sensational newspaper
> reports of guys with blackened faces and
> camo clothing trying to pedal through the
> night ahead of coal trains as a thrill.

> My feeling is that they should not be sold
> for personal use, and those hat are used
> illegally should be confiscated. That does
> not mean, however, that some sort of
> regulated operation might be conducted over
> disused trackage set aside for the purpose,
> as is done in Sweden. That type of operation
> would keep the rails down for possible
> further use.


hrrhs@aol.com

I think the NARCOA/motorcar hobby is a bit different, as they only travel in organized groups, with special permission from the railroads, which are usually operating railroads. My understanding of the Swedish operation is that it is more like just riding your own bike individually, with the railbikes being rented like a canoe at a state park. More of a Sunday afternoon sort of thing, with the whole family. To do it for the public, it would have to be administered by an organization, most likely with rental railbikes. Individual railbikes might also be used, after passing an inspection, but the fact that some owning individuals might ride on active RR's makes them dangerous. Back in the 1980s, the major RRs had a public campaign against railbikes, for good reason.

There would probably be a dispatching problem, which might be handled by one-way traffic for hourly periods. I'd like to know how they handle that in Sweden.

> This wheel has already been invented. Look
> at the motorcar hobby and NARCOA. There are
> many private individuals that own motorcars
> (I'm one) and are responsible enough to
> abide by the rules/laws. I suspect such a
> program could be expanded to the railbikes
> without a problem.

> God Bless,
> Gerald W. Kopiasz


ryarger@rypn.org

There was a guy on the eastern board of trainorders.com who did this back when it was unoffically "okay" to trespass as long as you didn't fowl anything up or get hurt in the late '50s and up to the early '70s. He lived in the northeast and posted some pictures of him and his family going out for outings on branches on the NYC, Liegh Valley and Reading that on days when the 3 or 4 times a week frieghts weren't operating on them.

He had permission from the local roadmasters and sometimes even divison supers to do this. I think he used two velocepede and had a motorcars.

Those days will never be again except on tourist lines and some shortlines.

> I believe there are still a couple of
> railbike manufacturers in the US, making
> both the kind that adapt a regular
> two-wheeler and the more stable
> pushcart-type four-wheelers.

> The chief danger in these is that some idiot
> will try to take a spin on the UP main and
> get killed. I've read sensational newspaper
> reports of guys with blackened faces and
> camo clothing trying to pedal through the
> night ahead of coal trains as a thrill.

> My feeling is that they should not be sold
> for personal use, and those hat are used
> illegally should be confiscated. That does
> not mean, however, that some sort of
> regulated operation might be conducted over
> disused trackage set aside for the purpose,
> as is done in Sweden. That type of operation
> would keep the rails down for possible
> further use.

> I understand there are at least a couple of
> these, on unused trackage owned by the
> government. Any readers been over there to
> try them out?

Welcome to the Dellen Line!

The rail bike on our front page is manufactured in Sweden for the purpose of renting. Our organization have bought some to keep the tracks alive while working to establish an electrified museum railway.

In summer people (mostly in groups) are taking trips on the line, which is abandoned since 1988. When renting the rail bikes at Delsbo former railway station our "customers" have to sign a paper with safety rules and also agree that they themselves are responsible for the ride.

You will find another picture under "Dressinuthyrning" ("Rail Bikes for rent").

In the historic section there is a photo of a lineman (Frans Larsson, born 1856) on his official vehicle. The relation to todays rail bikes is obvious! I try to enclose a link to the photo.

Finally, each summer we organize the "Open Swedish Championship in Railbiking". Two people compete at a time on parallell tracks. After 100 metres, they have to stop, turn around the rail bike, put it on the tracks and go back! This summer the event will take place June 22nd.

Welcome!



sigurd.melin@terrafirma.se