Abandoned Railroads?

[nickmarch]

Hello All!

I have yet to purchase a metal detector. I've been watching others detect on the beach here in Wildwood, NJ and it's giving me detecting fever!


I searched for and found numerous historical maps. They show abandoned railroads. One in particular has been abandoned for a long long time. It can be seen on a map dated 1872. Much of the old RR is now just dirt roads going thru woods. There it little to no drivng on the roads.

Being that there were very few roads to take people to the beach I'm thinking the old RR would be a good place to detect.

Your opinions?

 

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[Mackaydon]

I'd bet the rails, crossties and spikes have disappeared long ago; but if you can find where the stations were, you prospects would improve.
Don....

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

mackaydon is correct: Simply going along old RR tracks will be unfruitful. You have to hunt where people got off and on, milled about, recreated, spent $$, camped/walked, etc....

 

[Sandman]

This would be a great place to hunt as you never know what you could find. There are railroad spikes that are fun to collect too. Good luck.

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

Might want to try for some, "Date Nails"
Even if the railroad ties are now gone or rotted away.

Date Nail Info

have a good un....
SHERMANVILLE

 

[Mackaydon]

Parallel to the railbeds may have run telephone lines. If so, insulators might still be found.
Old aerial photos might show where the stations and the telephone lines were.
Don........

 

[Minrelica]

I hunted what used to be a very busy RR yard until the early 70's and it turned out to be the single, most annoying place that I've ever tried to hunt as of yet. It was impossible to put the coil down and NOT get a trash signal. There was just no getting away from it. Whatever excitement I had soon turned to disappointment BUT this may have been due to the fact that all of the tracks were pulled out and buildings, fences and who knows what else torn down which I'm positive produced the majority of the trash that's in the ground. I'm sure it would be a much better place to hunt if everything was still intact.

 

[nickmarch]

I'd bet the rails, crossties and spikes have disappeared long ago; but if you can find where the stations were, you prospects would improve.
Don....

Mackaydon - There was another map that showed a few stations. I'm going to have to find it again. I took a rids to where the old tracks cross roads. There are not phone lines that I could see unless they are underground.

Wit - I can see your point. There were only a few roads to the beach back then. I'm thinking that many could have walked the tracks, hopped the train, maybe locals walked the line too?

SI - The date nails look cool. Thanks for the link!

 

[deepskyal]

There were a couple folks on here that hunted RR tracks and had some good finds. Apparently the old locks on the switches are very collectable. Been a few years but they had some significant finds.

I tried for permission to detect an area owned by Norfolk & Southern that was gated off. Had an old town there and was an original settlement and trading post before that...plus the remains of a viaduct for the canal is still there. Got a big, fat NO! They talked of liability because where the old foundations were, there was stll an active line. But I wanted to detect the areas where the old lines had been dug out.

Look for some of the hobo camps, old water-filling stations if they are that old, random house foundations along the lines, etc.
Just keep an eye for pig iron infested areas. Can't detect through that at all and areas that may have slag fill like around here...that'll drive your detector nuts.

Al

 

[IAMZIM]

Please be very careful! I used to "haunt" some very old railroads here near Butte Montana looking for bottles and other cool stuff..(found some neat stuff) but here recently the railroad companies that still acctually own them, alltho no longer in use are prosicuting anyone trespassing to the FULL extent of the law! Due to many recent large thefts of copper wire. They dont mess around here anymore! I used to walk alot of railroads to fish the Jefferson river, and I used to have a spot where I panned gold, which was also near the Jefferson river and is on railroad property, and was kicked off with a VERY stern warning. They even shut off access to a popular hiking trail that has been there for years up Maud S. Canyon on the East Ridge of Butte because it crosses railroad land. They since then have worked out a deal with the forest service to keep the trail open, but have put up signs and gates detouring anyone from getting on the tracks or near the area of them, AND they have workers who patrol the tracks to keep tresspassers off them. I dont know how the laws are in your state, but you may want to check to be sure! Not trying to discourage you, just wouldnt want you to get into any trouble if you dont have to get into any!

 

[luvsdux]

IAMZIM'S warning sounds like it's an ACTIVE railroad property. Old, abandoned lines should be worth a try, especially at areas such as mentioned above. Like any possible site, you won't really know until you give it a try. I have one in mind that I haven't as yet tried, but intend to in the future.
luvsdux