Detecting Old Railroad-Camps

Patriot 1776

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Dec 9, 2014
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Tom_in_CA

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Mar 23, 2007
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i think they own 125 feet on both side of the tracks in calif.i all ways walk farther away when i hear a train

I knew a guy in So. CA who wandered and drove the RR tracks as they lace through the desert and Owens Valley. Because he'd figured that every 5 miles (or whatever) the workers had stopped to have a little tent city-of-sorts. And they'd be there for several weeks, before uprooting and moving downline for the next # of miles of track. Some of those became sidings, water towers, freight platforms, etc... And some even turned into cities. But others are just short-lived camp/tent zones for workers.

He was rewarded with a few barbers, a few chinese cash coins, a few IH's and a single $5 gold. Very few coins overall, but ... yes a few. Go figure that these places weren't inhabited very long.

As far as legality: The RR right-of-way spreads quite a far distance away from the edge of the tracks. And if you found a camp site to detect within that right-of-way distance, then technically you'd need the RR co. permission to detect there. And I bet they'd say "no". But the *reality* of the situation is that .... odds are ... no one cares less. People walk along side RR tracks all the time afterall, and it appears to be no big deal.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Railroads does care when you start digging. Many RR easements are leased by communications companies and use it to bury copper and fiber optic cables. I worked for one for 15 ears and we did not allow any digging, if you were caught you were warned, if you argued or refuse to stop the law was called and you were charged with trespassing...




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Tom_in_CA

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Mar 23, 2007
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... and you were charged with trespassing...

Precisely why no one should trespass on RR property (walk along side tracks, etc...).

The subject of "can md'rs harm fiber optics cables" is a very interesting one . It has come up before, and is very interesting. If they aren't buried too deep, and if an md'rs machine (can you even pick those up with a standard machine ??). So the same "what if?" can exist in yards of homes, park turf, etc... It falls under the "call before you dig" admonition of the utility Co. advertisements. (which there's no reason why that doesn't apply to everywhere, even parks, schools, your own yard, etc...).

But again, a moot point, since you shouldn't be on RR property (walking or being along side RR tracks) to begin with.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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All fiber optic cables have metal wires in them for locating the cable so yes metal detectors can detect fiber optic cables.




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