Western Railroad Discussion > Do NOT go here!!

Those of you who are well-versed in chasing trains in heavily rural areas will recognize this scene right away. Unless you have a very capable 4-wheel drive with huge knobby mud tires you just plain do NOT enter this road. Out in "the sticks" under conditions right after rainy weather like this you only use gravel roads. But even so, there are some gravel roads that will still give you certain pause when they're wet. Especially after a freak snow 2/3 of the way through April.

That was the case today. I woke up this AM to about 2" on the ground. Totally out of character for the Land of OZ! But since I'm still operating from my laptop computer I was determined to go out shooting. Once again I headed for the KYLE and I had a very productive day. So fear not: I did indeed shoot a KYLE train moseying through this scene, from right to left. But it will be like that famous 'player to be named later' in baseball. I'll post it when I get my new computer home from the shop, up & running...

1. Looking due south along 370 Rd over a KYLE (ex-Mop) crossing just west of Scottsville, KS. It's 4:41 PM on April 20, 2021.

"Here Be Dragons!" Don't go here...
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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Muck and mire. My rule of thumb was at least three days after rain or snowmelt before attempting to drive on country roads like that.
DAF

That is a you go first move or with the right tires, clearance, 4 wheel drive, and a winch, hold my beer while I drive through this. 

my puppies like roads like these, i have a snow shovel and dirt shovel with me , and with my choices they do get used

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Iowa has Class B roads that look like that when it's wet, only for a lot longer distances (when it's dry they can be passable).  I once pulled over at an intersection of a paved road and a Class B road to check my map and somehow managed to get just too far away from the pavement.  Fortunately a farmer's wife in a pickup with a strong chain came along and got me out.  She said that she was used to doing it for her husband when he got stuck while out hunting.  (And no, despite two recent posts, I do not normally get stuck when I'm railfanning.)

4-wheel drive just means you get stuck further off of the road than people with 2-wheel drive.  I have a 4-wheel drive truck but I don't let myself get in trouble.  I used it when camping with Boy Scouts and in the snow in the winter.  

John

To bad you don't know anyone around there with a tractor.   It would be the perfect vehicle for those roads and even have some elevation to shoot from.

Nebraska has minimum maintenance roads. The ex mayor's daughter died of exposure a few months ago. She got stuck, and worse, no cell service, so they found her body a few yards from her stuck SUV. A beautiful woman and life snuffed out. Proof that it can and does happen to anybody.

jlcKS Wrote: > ... anyone around there with a tractor ...

Interesting idea for achieving some elevation! And you can certainly go just about anywhere you wanted to. But as I see it, there would be no chase. It would be like the BB guys down at Lawrence: “One & Done”... ;^)

Posted from iPhone

I learned a few years ago about those soft Kansas farm roads.  Fortunately I was in a 4-wheel drive truck and was able to get out of there, but after that experience I don't chance it anymore.   For a while there I did not feel like I was "King Of The Road."  I would compare it to trying to roller skate in a buffalo herd.  

Rathole Wrote: > ... compare it to trying to roller skate in a buffalo herd ...

er... ummm....... “ROGER” that!

:^)

Posted from iPhone

Over here in the mid Atlantic I can see a new transplant from inside the beltway trying that in their nice new large SUV with all season tires and being shocked getting stuck, then writing the papers and all over social media complaining about the terrible county roads and damned farmers and their muddy fields and how we should raise taxes to pave that road.  Oh and it needs a sidewalk and street lights too...

When my sons and I chased the Big Boy in 2019 I rented a 4 wheel drive pickup cause I was unsure what road conditions we would face.   On the off day we went over to the Pocotello Sub south of Cokedale, Idaho.

It was raining a bit.   Went down a farm road to the north end of siding and thought nothing of it until the truck started sliding off the dirt road!   Even in four wheel drive the top 2-3" of soil were like grease and we nearly slid off the road into a drainage ditch.  Was a tough time getting out of there.   No more dirt roads after that.

CV the Civil E in NJ