Railroads for Travel or Evac?

[JPS]

I just finished a (pretty good) zombie apocalypse book titled ‘Return Man’.  The protagonist in the book travels cross country using railroad lines instead of roads and highways, thereby avoiding what he calls ‘ghost jams’ where traffic gridlock has blocked the roads.  This seems like a good idea to me if the need for travel or evacuation should come up.  I imagine it might be a little easier to travel inconspicuously, and since it would be difficult to use a vehicle, fewer under-prepared individuals or groups would use that route.  (Note that I plan on walking.)

 

I’m looking now for a railroad atlas, or something with some detail about routes, mileage, population centers, etc.  I found a good software package for about $40, but we all know how useful that would be if TSHTF.

 

Any thoughts?

[Spots]

Me personally, I plan to take the overland route if I have the need to travel after a SHTF event. I am more comfortable in the woods, food and water are easier to obtain, and its easier to hide your back trail, and avoid detection. I plan to stay away from all marked/cleared right of ways including railroads, as they will be come magnets for other travelers.

[JPS]

It would of course depend on the exact situation, but I'd guess that if possible, traveling along the RR would mean much faster travel for my family, which includes a very small child.  If forced overland, at least knowing where the RR lines are might give us additional options at rivers, etc.

[Oh Shoot]

I've walked a lot of railroad tracks in my time, still do some.

 

Would have advantages but also drawbacks in SHTF situation.

 

Drawbacks include:

 

- Pretty tough walking along much of them: once you get out of urban area, often banked on sides with no flat place to walk beside tracks and you can't walk on the banked sides with the large rocks. So you walk on the tracks -- if you've never done much of it, can tell ya it ain't no stroll in the park. The cross tie spacing doesn't seen to fit anyone's gait, so you'll be treading on the gravel in between the ties half the time. Really need to watch your footing, unstable gravel and other debris, super easy to turn an ankle, especially weighted down with a pack. Besides being really rough on footwear in short period of time, a stumble can take ya right out of the ole SHTF walking game. Having to watch your step so carefully, your situational awareness is reduced, which leads to the other major drawback:

 

- Often narrow passages once out of the city, often right up to woods/brush, perfect ambush territory. There are already plenty of hobo jungles along railroad tracks, imagine what it might be like once everybody is hungry and desperate. Then again, I guess you could say that about most any road, too.

 

Me personally, I plan to take the overland route if I have the need to travel after a SHTF event. I am more comfortable in the woods, food and water are easier to obtain, and its easier to hide your back trail, and avoid detection. I plan to stay away from all marked/cleared right of ways including railroads, as they will be come magnets for other travelers.

 

Nice idea, but unless you want to just get from one side of the Smokies to the other, or same in other large state/federal forest areas, there just ain't a way to "stay in the woods" for long. You're always gonna be on someone's land, there's always gonna be a town, etc. And there will be plenty of other travelers off the roads hanging out, spending night, foraging, whatever, so you couldn't simply necessarily walk out of sight of but still near the road with impunity either.

 

- OS

 

 

 

 

[Spots]

I've walked a lot of railroad tracks in my time, still do some.

 

Would have advantages but also drawbacks in SHTF situation.

 

Drawbacks include:

 

- Pretty tough walking along much of them: once you get out of urban area, often banked on sides with no flat place to walk beside tracks and you can't walk on the banked sides with the large rocks. So you walk on the tracks -- if you've never done much of it, can tell ya it ain't no stroll in the park. The cross tie spacing doesn't seen to fit anyone's gait, so you'll be treading on the gravel in between the ties half the time. Really need to watch your footing, unstable gravel and other debris, super easy to turn an ankle, especially weighted down with a pack. Besides being really rough on footwear in short period of time, a stumble can take ya right out of the ole SHTF walking game. Having to watch your step so carefully, your situational awareness is reduced, which leads to the other major drawback:

 

- Often narrow passages once out of the city, often right up to woods/brush, perfect ambush territory. There are already plenty of hobo jungles along railroad tracks, imagine what it might be like once everybody is hungry and desperate. Then again, I guess you could say that about most any road, too.

 

 

Nice idea, but unless you want to just get from one side of the Smokies to the other, or same in other large state/federal forest areas, there just ain't a way to "stay in the woods" for long. You're always gonna be on someone's land, there's always gonna be a town, etc. And there will be plenty of other travelers off the roads hanging out, spending night, foraging, whatever, so you couldn't simply necessarily walk out of sight of but still near the road with impunity either.

 

- OS

 

Everyones situation is different. My plan calls for a 9 mile hike straight across country to my Dads place if the truck is not a viable option for some reason. I'm not trying to cross the country, only 3 ridgelines that I've hunted, camped and hiked my whole life. Also I don't have kids to worry about

[Garufa]

Build a rail bike....

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gs_rn=8&gs_ri=psy-ab&cp=12&gs_id=1g&xhr=t&q=bicycle%20railroad&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44697112,d.eWU&biw=1152&bih=707&wrapid=tljp1365021044349024&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw&ei=npFcUei_IozS9ASNpoDQAQ#q=railbike&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=fw&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=d163b4f23ebfc8f3&biw=1152&bih=707

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Pretty dicey trestles on railroad tracks. May not look like it until you get on one. Also, they can be circuitous

and add a lot of time to a trip. TN Dept of Geology sells the topo maps and the have the tracks on them, for

those who are interested. You can get the State version of the topo maps at some magazine stands, also.

They are useful for finding old tracks(right of ways, etc) and other old land features.

 

Another thing to consider is the tracks often go through some places you might never want to be caught in

after dark. Think Memphis, Nashville or any bigger city, and some backwoods towns you might not be interested

in being around for similar reasons.

[Oh Shoot]

Everyones situation is different. My plan calls for a 9 mile hike straight across country to my Dads place ...

 

Gotcha.  Of course a single short hike is quite different from generally just getting around, or days to weeks long trek to get somewhere specific.

 

And of course, most folks wouldn't have option of  uninhabited ridge lines for even  that 9 miles.

 

- OS

Edited April 3, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[UncleJak]

One of my plans, if I get caught at work , is to follow the tracks home.  I have mapped it out and it would suck, but it is a possibility.  I have walked the tracks before and it is not easy and not safe.  I work downtown Nashville and the tracks that are close to my work also run close to my house, 50 miles North.  Walking is not a great choice, but if the interstates can get blocked by regular daily traffic, I know a SHTF would make them fairly impassible.

[peejman]

As stated, walking the tracks is neither easy nor safe. Others are likely to have the same idea so expect company.

But they can be a good way to get back to campus when you're hammered... Not that I've ever done that...