HEY BOOMER - WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY & HOW IS IT MEASURED?

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

Is the size of the right of way standard throughout the US or does it vary from company to company? Is it measured from the center of the tracks outward or some other way? I have a project where the cache lies a certain distance from the railroad and I need to know whether to get permission from the railroad or the local property owner? Thanks so much. ss

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

thanks Buckram, I'll take a look. ss

[JARMAN]

Was a case here in East Tenn.a few years ago that a home owner ran workers off his land with a shotgun.Turned out the RR leased out the right of way to the phone and gas co's to run lines.They took over his back yard.Not only was he arested over the shotgun but lost his court battle to stop any action on the co's part.Hard to fight the big fish.

[OldBillinUT]

I have read that originally the major RRs owned the land one mile on either side of the track in the Western states. Not entirely the case now I understand.

[Monty]

Let me but in if I may. My wife is retired from a railway company and she says she thinks it is 50 feet from the centerline. I know they have to get special permits for wide loads. Monty

[Mr. Mojo]

You can evaluate approximately where the ROW may lie by looking at RR overpasses for the orriginal stone for structure for first line through. Often the RR would later add a track within the ROW, and later perhaps remove one. RR were usually required to provide fences for protection but you can not always use this. Often RR would mark their ROW with a rr tie driven into ground vertically, usually at ground level or lower. Local records can give this data, but usually we contact the RR entity for exact widths when surveying.

[mapper123]

I am a newbie here,but can shed some light on RR ROW's.......here in South Carolina they bought varing amounts from each individual.....in rural areas they seem to be about 100' each side of the centerline & as narrow as 12.5' each side in urban area's.Another point to consider....if they on bought a ROW then the actual owner retains most rights with the right of maintance being sold to the RR.Other cases the RR actualy bought the dirt inside the ROW.Research is needed in all cases & you still may have to deal with a beligerant individual who could ruin your day. I would talk both to the landowner & the RR.

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Had friends that leased the property their home was on from the D&H Railroad in Deposit, NY. They were at least 200' from the tracks and I'm not sure how much further "their" property went back but I'm guessing it was at least another 50 or 60 ft.

I don't think I'd sleep nights if I owned my home but leased the property it was on.

[privet12]

In Hawaii most of the homes are on leased land and the banks will even loan you money to build on leased property.

[gallileo60]

My store is owned by the RR, we lease from them..At our location there is a 75 ft per side easement for the railroad......That is alot of space, but that is how it is there, im sure it must be alot less in most places.....We are right near the water also.....The hiway is buying the property from the rail road, so soon my store will be history...

[clearblk]

I have worked for the railroad for many years and without a current survey map I would not even take a guess at the right of way boundries. Many tracks have been removed and some new ones installed so there is just no way of telling.

[Scar]

Back during the tech bubble AT&T made a deal with Union Pacific RR to run fiberoptic cable on the RR right-of-way. Some of the right-of-way is owned by the RR and some is owned by the landowner that sold the rights to use the land. Some landowners filed suit and the case went to the Supreme Court of the USA. The court ruled in favor of the landowners. Most all Right-Of-Way Deeds that I have read state that if the ROW is ever abandoned that the land would go back to the original grantor of the deed. This can create problems down the road and the road is a long one due to the fact that many were built in the late 1800's. Much land has been sold off through the years using the boundary of the right-of-way as their deed call.The deeds I have read vary as to width of the ROW but most mainline routes are 100 to 150 feet from the center of the tracks on each side. So if anyone sees a railroad being abandoned, then there is ones chance to buy some land real cheap. All you have to do is some research and find out who the original grantor was then trace down the relatives or successors in title.

[gyrogear]

SS,
My neighbor for the last 12 years has been the Union Pacific Railroad. They claim to have close to 33,000 miles of track by 100 feet wide. I know at my place they have a 100 foot Right Of Way, measured from the center line of the main track. The tracks are spaced at 4 feet 8 1/2 inches. This is called Standard Gauge and is the most common in the world. Across the street from me their R.O.W. is 200 feet, also measured from the center line of the main track. You will find this wider R.O.W. mostly where there is a bypass track, as they have here.
Hope this information helps.
gyrogear