Rails to Trails Conservancy

[7dogguy]

We've only been on a couple of the local ones so far, in Clarksville (another gem in Clarksville for hiking and biking is Rotary Park, by the way) and over in Cheatham County. Both are very nicely done. The trails are not "hard core" hiking and are well-suited for bike riding of any skill level. And there are plenty of good places in TN/KY for longer length, more difficult hiking, such as LBL - and remember eagle viewing season is upon us at LBL.

Information about rails to trails locations can be found at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy:: Creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines:: Building healthier places for healthier people.

[Guest db99wj]

Greater Memphis Greenline, Inc.

Former CSX rail line, one of the entrances is .25 miles from my house, I run it a lot, it is my primary run route during the day time hours. Been open a few months and has been a great success.

Your link is not working by the way. It looks like railstotrails.org is broken at the moment.

[7dogguy]

Thanks - sucks on the link; I copied and pasted straight from the site. Anyway, nice use of the old tracks. I've seen a lot of runners on the local ones. I'll have to check out Memphis when we head that way.

[Guest HvyMtl]

Ok. The Katy line was converted from Rail to Trail in Missouri. The main issue was the railroad had leased the land, and did not own it. The lease was for 99 years, with a clause, where if the land leased was not used for railroad purposes, the land would revert back to the original owners, or to those who purchased the land.

In spite of the leases, the state converted the use anyway, taking the land of private owners with little to no compensation.

IF this situation is similar, then the land should go back to the owners. No imminent domain, no involuntary taking. That is my opinion. If it was owned by the Railroad, and can be easily conferred to the state or local government, and they have the budget to do it without raising taxes, go for it.

[Guest mustangdave]

Road one up in Newark, Ohio a couple years ago while there visiting my folks

[7dogguy]

Ok. The Katy line was converted from Rail to Trail in Missouri. The main issue was the railroad had leased the land, and did not own it. The lease was for 99 years, with a clause, where if the land leased was not used for railroad purposes, the land would revert back to the original owners, or to those who purchased the land.

In spite of the leases, the state converted the use anyway, taking the land of private owners with little to no compensation.

IF this situation is similar, then the land should go back to the owners. No imminent domain, no involuntary taking. That is my opinion. If it was owned by the Railroad, and can be easily conferred to the state or local government, and they have the budget to do it without raising taxes, go for it.

I agree - no private land should be taken. My point of the post was if the trails are available and not taken by the govt', space for outdoors that is close to folks is a good thing. Too many video game playing people who need to get out and see the real world (and quit making their kids fatter by keeping them inside).

[Guest db99wj]

From what I remember of the CSX line here, it was a majority of railroad owned property that ran along the rear of residential properties. Appraisals were done to get a fair market value of the land anyone's land that would be affected, and were offered a fair market amount for the affected areas. Many if not most of the time, the land, if owned by public person was not maintained anyway, it was at the back of their lot and was used as a buffer between their property and the rail line.

I can't speak for other projects around the state or country, but the one here was done fairly and the residents got a little bit of money, and the benefit of the trail and the benefit of the maintenance and landscaping. Before it was an overgrown abandandon rail line that had rail road ties, rails, spikes, rocks, etc.

[Guest m14man]

memphis line is the nc&stl rail line that ran from bruceton to memphis thru lexington and jackson, it hasnt been used as a main line since the early 80s and hasnt been used at all in the last 10 years. it was built in the mid 1800s i doubt anyone is still alive that ever owned any of that land and i do believe that l&n owned all the land and easments on both side.

[7dogguy]

memphis line is the nc&stl rail line that ran from bruceton to memphis thru lexington and jackson, it hasnt been used as a main line since the early 80s and hasnt been used at all in the last 10 years. it was built in the mid 1800s i doubt anyone is still alive that ever owned any of that land and i do believe that l&n owned all the land and easments on both side.

I think that will be one I will try and look up for a day or maybe an overnight trip to West TN; I haven't spent much time there since the 80s and would like to go back and look around. As I get older I have more of a desire to explore close to home and these trails and hiking/biking are a good way to do so. Still like to venture out, but really cool to find out about places. Gee, where was all this curiousity when I had to sit thru junior high school history?

[Guest db99wj]

memphis line is the nc&stl rail line that ran from bruceton to memphis thru lexington and jackson, it hasnt been used as a main line since the early 80s and hasnt been used at all in the last 10 years. it was built in the mid 1800s i doubt anyone is still alive that ever owned any of that land and i do believe that l&n owned all the land and easments on both side.

The Memphis section, which was approximately length of 7.08 miles and consists of approximately 87 acres, was owned by CSX at the time the project was announced and sold to the Shelby County Government. Not sure who CSX acquired it from years ago could have been from the NC&STL rail line or it could have been that the NC&STL lines serviced and ran the line, and CSX was the primary owner. Many railroads are owned by the big companies, but don't run them, the local rail lines do. I ran into this in a job I was working on up in Northwest TN. The line was owned by Norfolk Southern but West Tennessee Railroad runs it.

During this project, commercial, residential, multifamily, and institutional land were impacted to some extent, either by being identified due to the property lines sharing a boarder with the line or in some cases actual access being affected because of the project. From what I can tell, no residential sites were impacted to this degree, but some commercial, utility and institutional owners were. For example, some billboard owners access was limited due to the trail, but other measures where put in place to provide the need access for the company to get to their signs. At I-40 and the I-24 interchange at the Wolf River, a gate was put up, road maintained so that billboard company can get to theirs signs. They greenline put up a fence to keep people on the line and at one point, before you get to the Wolf River, a locked gate was put in so that the company could cross over the line to get to their property.

Here's a pic of one of my runs on the greenline. Kinda dark, but this is on the east side of the Wolf River, in the bottoms area.

Edited December 2, 2010 by db99wj

[Guest m14man]

The Memphis section, which was approximately length of 7.08 miles and consists of approximately 87 acres, was owned by CSX at the time the project was announced and sold to the Shelby County Government. Not sure who CSX acquired it from years ago could have been from the NC&STL rail line or it could have been that the NC&STL lines serviced and ran the line, and CSX was the primary owner. Many railroads are owned by the big companies, but don't run them, the local rail lines do. I ran into this in a job I was working on up in Northwest TN. The line was owned by Norfolk Southern but West Tennessee Railroad runs it.

During this project, commercial, residential, multifamily, and institutional land were impacted to some extent, either by being identified due to the property lines sharing a boarder with the line or in some cases actual access being affected because of the project. From what I can tell, no residential sites were impacted to this degree, but some commercial, utility and institutional owners were. For example, some billboard owners access was limited due to the trail, but other measures where put in place to provide the need access for the company to get to their signs. At I-40 and the I-24 interchange at the Wolf River, a gate was put up, road maintained so that billboard company can get to theirs signs. They greenline put up a fence to keep people on the line and at one point, before you get to the Wolf River, a locked gate was put in so that the company could cross over the line to get to their property.

Here's a pic of one of my runs on the greenline. Kinda dark, but this is on the east side of the Wolf River, in the bottoms area.

l&n was owned by csx actual csx was fromed from a merger of chessie lines,sea board, and l&n family lines, l&n family lines was nc&stl and l&n the same company original ran seprate from each other. i know csx owned all the land cause i work as a locomotive engineer for csx and i work bruceton to memphis at the time they were making the green line i was working in memphis leewood yard(csx yard) and moved the cars that were holding the old rail and ties from the cordova branch. i also work with guys who worked that line before they shut it down. i also opperate on the ns line from jackson to milan tn that west tn runs on, and they lease it from norfolk southern.I also go to every other rail road in memphis except ns, thats canadian national harrison yard, union pacific sargent yard, and burlington northen santa fe yale and ty yards, plus sections of there tracks.

[Guest db99wj]

l&n was owned by csx actual csx was fromed from a merger of chessie lines,sea board, and l&n family lines, l&n family lines was nc&stl and l&n the same company original ran seprate from each other. i know csx owned all the land cause i work as a locomotive engineer for csx and i work bruceton to memphis at the time they were making the green line i was working in memphis leewood yard(csx yard) and moved the cars that were holding the old rail and ties from the cordova branch. i also work with guys who worked that line before they shut it down. i also opperate on the ns line from jackson to milan tn that west tn runs on, and they lease it from norfolk southern.I also go to every other rail road in memphis except ns, thats canadian national harrison yard, union pacific sargent yard, and burlington northen santa fe yale and ty yards, plus sections of there tracks.

I see. We only dealt with the latest owner which was CSX. Those rail lines seem to be all interconnected in ownership somewhere down the line.

My company had a small role in the transfer of the property over to Shelby County.

My brother works for CSX currently!

[7dogguy]

I see. We only dealt with the latest owner which was CSX. Those rail lines seem to be all interconnected in ownership somewhere down the line.

My company had a small role in the transfer of the property over to Shelby County.

My brother works for CSX currently!

Does your brother work on the trains themselves or what is his role? I think the RR would be a great career and it is for sure crucial - the freight haulers - to our country.

[Guest m14man]

it would be if the companys didnt treat you like crap the just took $700 a pay half from us that they have been paying for the last 3 years when the company has been posting record profits. greed consumes all thats the bigest complain execpt on call 24 hours a day 13 days the you get 48 hours off, 365 days a year no holidays and dont know when your going to work untill 2 hours before you call and you only get 1 day every two months that you can call in sick, no sick time 2 weeks vac and 4 personal days, and thats it and no garuntee you will catch your off days or vacations on time.

[Guest m14man]

oh yea no holiday pay, and you have to fight to get your pay from the company sometimes it take 6 month to get what your due. i have even had them deny my overtime that i worked took 4 weeks and alot of argueeing to get that from a computer glitch, and i left out if there ever anything goes wrong its the crews fault, if you get hurt you are fired, period, we carry insurance for being fired it is so common, we have 5 rule books and iver a 1000 rules and regulations, and have people whos job is to hid in the bushes and try and catch you breaking one so they can fire you. they hire you on monday give like 3 hours training then try to fire you on tuesday.

[Guest db99wj]

Does your brother work on the trains themselves or what is his role? I think the RR would be a great career and it is for sure crucial - the freight haulers - to our country.

He is an electrician apprentice or something. Works on the locomotives or engines (whatever you call them) in N'ville doing maintenance and getting them ready to go out.

[oldogy]

Southeast OH rails to trails has a great system with several hundred miles of paved trails. There are camping areas and B&Bs along the route if I remember right.

oldogy

Miami Valley Ohio Rails-To-Trails Pages

[7dogguy]

it would be if the companys didnt treat you like crap the just took $700 a pay half from us that they have been paying for the last 3 years when the company has been posting record profits. greed consumes all thats the bigest complain execpt on call 24 hours a day 13 days the you get 48 hours off, 365 days a year no holidays and dont know when your going to work untill 2 hours before you call and you only get 1 day every two months that you can call in sick, no sick time 2 weeks vac and 4 personal days, and thats it and no garuntee you will catch your off days or vacations on time.

Holy bat crap...that sucks. We took a pay cut and had some "reductions" (nice word for people losing their jobs) but not as bad as all of that stuff. Jeepers.

[Guest m14man]

i wouldnt mind it that bad if it wasnt that the company was making profits, needless to say we are fighting it right now no verdict yet. its a fun job except for the hours, not to mention the 30 people they hired who quit good jobs then furlogh them 2 months after training then they called them back 8 months later for like 3 weeks and done it again. done that like 3 times then just cut them off with no jobs and trying to not furlogh them again so they dont have to pay unemployment. oh yeah when we got flooded out for like 4 weeks they just wanted us to stay out and not claim unemployment but they werent going to pay our salaries either. the tem getting rail roaded is around for a reason.