Is it illegal in the USA to walk on railroad tracks?
Yes, it is illegal.Railroads are not public property like roads or waterways. They are owned by the railroad that operates them. Everytime you walk on them without permission, except at grade crossings, you are technically trespassing. That is the very first thing they will charge you with, and if you’ve done anything else they don’t like they’ll tack that on.Really though, its not worth walking right on the tracks without a really good reason (and even then…).
How much does a 12" length of railroad track weigh? Someone said it was 80 lbs.?
Railroad rails are different weghits. The heavier rail is used primarily on moder main line trackage, with lighter rail in spurs, sidings, yards, etc. Most main line rail is 139 pound rail. This means three feet of it weighs 139 lbs. Divide by three and you will find that a 12" section weighs 45.33 lbs. The same applies to 80 pound rail. 90 pound rail, etc. So, you must know the rails "weight", as it was manufactured. Most rail used in heavy curveature is carbon steel, and requires an oxy-acetelene torch or diamond saw to cut the stuff. It is very expensive and very tough stuff. If you have a piece of rail long enough, its weight, manufacturer and date of manufacture on the "web" of the rain, which is the thinner part of the rail under the rail's head, you can determine the rail's weight. If you have a 12" section already, you will not see all of the information on it, as it takes much longer length to reveal this info. It's not in small print. In addition, after the manufacturing date of the year produced, you will see "hash" marks, which is a number of verticle marks, numbering from one mark up to twelve marks. These marks indicate the month of the year in which the rail was made. If you go looking for something similar, be very aware of your surroundings and watch out for any rail traffic. Any time you are aroung railroad cars or engines, you can expect it to move at any time, on any track, in either direction without warning. BE SAFE.
Is it illegal to take abandoned railroad tracks?
Let’s get one thing straight. Railroad tracks may see little use, they may be disused, but they are never abandoned. Someone owns them and they have liability and at least some duty of care even with regard tresspassers. If you want to use the tracks, you may be able to get permission from the owner, but keep in mind, there is allays an owner somewhere.As far as taking the rails, that is outright larceny and you will get in big trouble trying to sell them to a scrap dealer who will require proof that you are lawfully in possession of rails, joint bars tie plates etc…. Mike Heaton
May I walk on the train tracks without fear of cops? I know it’s illegal because it’s private property, but is it enforced anywhere?
Well, I also highly discourage walking on the rail line.That said, I doubt that the responses here will really discourage you if your only concern is a ticket.If you MUST walk the tracks, do so intelligently! The railroads actually have specific rules for walking along railroad tracks meant to ensure the safety of their employees. You would be wise to follow them yourself-The following are relevant rules are paraphrased from Form S7A, the "Conrail Safety Rules for Train, Locomotive and other Transportation Employees" on Walking. Walk, don't run, on established paths. Don't jump over pits of excavationsDon't walk on, sit, or stand on rails, turnouts (switches) and related machinery. Basically, stay out of the gauge of the track (this way, a train can't hit you). I can't stress how important it is to NOT walk right on the rails, but off to the side. Expect equipment to move on any track, in any direction, at anytime. Look BOTH WAYS before crossing the track When crossing the track, take the shortest route. if there are multiple tracks, make sure to look both ways for each track.Don't cross tracks less than 15 feet from standing locomotives/cars/equipment (sometimes, brakes fail, as what happened to that oil train in Canada)Cross in front of a moving train or equipment only if it is a sufficient distance away to allow you to reach the other side of the tracks with ample time to spare. (or in your case, just don't cross in front of a moving train if one should find you). Watch where you are walking, don't look away from where you are walkingThis is just paraphrased for your benefit, but I still don't reccomend walking on the tracks. I can't imagine that the tracks are THAT much more exciting than whatever road it is you're used to taking, but the consequences are likely greater if something goes wrong, be it a ticket or an accident.
What would happen if you touched the third rail really, really quickly?
Disclaimer: I'm not an electrician, and any stunts involving a third rail are stupid and could easily kill you.That said, if you touched the third rail and nothing else (i.e. you were not grounded), you would almost certainly be fine. Note that ordinary shoes probably would not insulate you against 1.5kV.If you touched the third rail and the ground, briefly (a fraction of a second), you might survive. Wikipedia claims that:Shocks above 2700 volts are often fatal, with those above 11000 volts being usually fatal. Shocks with voltages over 40,000 volts are almost invariably fatal.and that most "third rails" run at no more than 1.5kV. (Compare to overhead-fed electric trains, which run at ~25kV.) This doesn't factor in duration, but it suggests that a brief shock probably wouldn't kill you. However, 1.5KV is definitely above the level where you could be severely burned, and where even DC could quickly stop your heart. What's more, you're unlikely to maintain control of your muscles with 1.5kV going through you, so making sure it's brief could be a challenge.Edit: 1.5kV seems like more of a maximum; they tend to run at more like 750V. Also, I've Googled some third rail accidents, and some 4 of the 6 victims died. Of course, none of them touched it really, really quickly.
How long would it take to walk from Boston to San Francisco?
Google Maps says it would take 983 Hours —it even gives you a route.If you walked straight non stop, 24 hours a day walking it would take 40 days.But since you need to sleep and eat and all that other human stuff - you can multiply that by 3 — so you’re looking at 120 days — 8 hours a day of walking.