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Discussion: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
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AgEnT_GrEEn |
Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 15 2009, 11:25 AM EDT
Seeing there isn't a major amount of material regarding them on here, I'm hoping to vet out the subject and get enough material to make an article.Anyways, here's my list thus far: Pros: *It requires some dexterity [not always] to get to them [Bad for Zedskies] *You can choose your destination to walk to and will NOT get lost [Usually] *Zedskies would be forced on a narrow plane to engage *Not everyone's gonna be walking them [and you stick your tongue out at all the suckers on the freeway that HAD to take their car] *Speaking of which, it's an easy way to the highway to search vehicles and you can go right back to the tracks when you're done [watch out for those pesky grabby types XD] *Plenty of hunting opportunities in rural areas, plus in some instances, they'll lead you straight to abandoned barns or other structures *It's a way through the woods for noobs that have white sneakers and dainty clothing on >:P *Sometimes they have small bridges over streams you can use as a spot to stay for the night A neutral point: Trains....You DON'T always hear them...In the immediate aftermath, watch out for them. They'll usually sound off every now 'n then, but don't always count on it. Cons: *Sometimes don't go to where you want to go *Can lead straight into industrial slums, factories or the train depot [that one's guaranteed....eventually] *Sometimes have massive bridges....not good for the average Survivor to cross *Sometimes go for days without reaching any form of civilization *Are a b*tch to walk along in the winter, nothing's there to block the wind and you're very visible unless in proper camouflage That's just off the top of my head, add or debate the ones presented as you see fit. AgEnT_GrEEn 2 out of 2 found this valuable. Do you?
Keyword tags:
hoofing it
Railroad
travelling by foot
Zombie
Zombies
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Bipp |
1. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 15 2009, 12:22 PM EDT
There may be trains running after Z-Day. I know of 2 steam engines that are used to give tours of the local area. One of my plans was to take them and some cars. I have been studding steam engines, and train track routes around the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Walking the Train tracks, would be a dangerous situation. It would be completely open with no were to take shelter, and use as a defensive bunker. It would be okay for a short period of time. There would be plenty of homes and businesses, to stay in and scavenge for supplies. You can hunt and fish from them. If you get to a bridge you can stop and throw a couple of lines off the side and catch a couple of fish. I would avoid winter conditions, because they will get really deep with snow, and ice. Also night time travel on the line's because it would be vary difficult to watch every were for Zed's coming at you. The most important thing to watch for when traveling by rail line's is to stay clear during thunder storms. Train tracks have a tendency of drawing lightning and the lightning can travel down the rails. Same with metal bridges. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
RisingTide |
2. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 15 2009, 12:56 PM EDT
Getting hit by the train that has no idea Z-day is going on.
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timberrattler |
3. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 15 2009, 1:45 PM EDT
AgEnT_GrEEn,This is something that I hadn't considered before and now that you mention it its a palm to face moment for me. I've hunted railroad tracks for years and theres a reason for that. The brush and briars are a good place to find upland game. Something that might seem silly to consider is the old time hand cars that maintence men used to work on the tracks. I haven't a clue where you'd find one these days but a person with a sharp mind and a good set of tools might be able to make one out of trainyard junk. A major con would definately be bridges. Some are set up so you'd have to step from one railroad tie to the next with nothing below you. Not a good place to be if a train comes. However if you got a pack of zeds on your heels chances are if they tried to duplicate your feat they'd fall like leaves in November. Good post BTW. 4 out of 4 found this valuable. Do you? |
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Bipp |
4. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 15 2009, 2:01 PM EDT
| Post edited: Oct 15 2009, 2:03 PM EDT
Or find one of the service pick up trucks that are set up to ride the rails. They have two bars that come down in the front with rail wheels that jack the front wheels off the rail. You can jack up the rail wheels and drive the truck like a regular truck off of the tracks. You can find them at any train yard. Here in MI, I know of three, one in Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, and Lansing. I know that there are 2 working hand carts at Buckley Steam Engine show grounds, along with a steam engine train. Located in North West MI, N.W. of Cadillac. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
CyprusBill |
5. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 15 2009, 2:29 PM EDT
"Or find one of the service pick up trucks that are set up to ride the rails.Getting one of these trucks has been on my post z-day to-do list since the beginning. Those things are awesome. When the roadways are clogged and unusable, you can be up on the tracks, scooting along. If you need off, hop off, drive the truck along till you can get back on, and keep going. Add that to the tent I have that fits in the bed of a truck, and we got the makings of a plan! 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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Bipp |
6. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 15 2009, 3:56 PM EDT
Heck with a tent. Pull into any R.V. trailer sales and mount a pickup truck camper on your rail truck. A camper will give you better shelter, safety, toilet, shower, sinks, heat, a.c., and stove and oven. Also it will give you plenty of cargo area. I was looking at one before I mounted a 100 gallon gas tank in my trucks bed. Now I am thinking about buying a 20 foot fifth wheel toy hauler (1/2 camper & 1/2 cargo. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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AgEnT_GrEEn |
7. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 16 2009, 1:08 AM EDT
Sweetness.Now, I'd like to add this question: If someone actually considered this a solidified way out on foot, what should they wear? I'm thinking comfortable boots, jeans or cargoes, some variety of long-sleeve top, gloves [cut-off or not] and some type of headwear.....or something like this: http://zedpocalypsethewiki.wetpaint.com/photo/7703058/Oh+Sh*t+Son! Thoughts? [You can also add to the OT if you want] Do you find this valuable? |
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Bipp |
8. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 16 2009, 10:57 AM EDT
I'm thinking comfortable boots, jeans or cargoes, some variety of long-sleeve top, gloves [cut-off or not] and some type of headwear.....or something like this:Agent Green that would be good for spring, and fall. Those of us in colder weather will need to dress warmer in the winter (obviously). 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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AgEnT_GrEEn |
9. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 17 2009, 5:11 AM EDT
"I'm thinking comfortable boots, jeans or cargoes, some variety of long-sleeve top, gloves [cut-off or not] and some type of headwear.....or something like this:Dude, you're talking to one of the few Michiganders on here...You should read around next time :P Anywhos... That's true. Still, according to what I've gathered, it's better to be slightly chilly when standing versus warm so when you start running, you don't overheat. However, Trying to find the balance in attire to meet that and being able to sleep in what you have if you need to.....that's somewhat tricky to me. Suggestions? In addition, this is all presuming you don't have a rail truck or related and are hoofing it. Do you find this valuable? |
Freelancer47 |
10. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 17 2009, 5:21 AM EDT
"Dude, you're talking to one of the few Michiganders on here...You should read around next time :PA_G, here's my take: Bipp said it best... they don't always go where you want them to. When you could just straddle a road (I.E. not on the road, but maybe about 10 meter in the wood line, if you have it) it would lead you to some civilization of some sort. A train track line would be a reasonable rout to take, if you knew where you were going in the first place... The nice thing about train tracks is that they always lead to somewhere that you might find something you need. Pre-Planing is going to be bigger here than if you take roads. Do you find this valuable? |
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AgEnT_GrEEn |
11. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 17 2009, 6:46 AM EDT
| Post edited: Oct 17 2009, 6:48 AM EDT
"A_G, here's my take:*Nods* All good points. I'd hope someone would change their course if walking the tracks wasn't gonna take 'em to their destination [lol] "Yeah, Billy-Bob, we'll walk right past that town....there's no way off the tracks." "Couldn't we walk through the wood-" "DON'T YOU CORRECT ME SONNYBOY!!" True. My favorite thing about the tracks is few people will be on them. Just look at the majority of the plans on here....The fact few mention utilizing the railroad system is a kinda decent indicator that the majority of society'll be using and battling over the main roads and highways......not something true Survivors should concern themselves with. Exactly. It's a much bigger challenge than the main roads, but if you want less Zedskies and Hostiles to contend with.....it just might be worth the risk. Additional challenges I thought of: *Tainted water from oil, smoke, ect, ect. *Hostile hobos and wild animals *Re-supply is non-existent 'till you find civilization *General exposure to elements besides Winter *Amtrak full of Zedskies :-0 Do you find this valuable? |
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Freelancer47 |
12. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 17 2009, 7:05 AM EDT
"*Nods*YES!!! Hostile Animals! That's what I forgot. Also... as I am me ( A dude from Illinois ) can tell you... You were worried about being warm. Here's what I asked my sister not 2 hrs ago. * Long Johns. They may not be comfortable, but they will keep you warm... do you still have any of the PolyPro's the military love's to give out? * Feet Warmth. I know it sounds 'Hobo-ish', but have you tried out tying plastic bags around your feet to keep them dry? Or puting your feet in Paper bags? Paper bags will keep in warmth. * Hostile Hobo's: Yeah, they might be around. But think of this... you are already better prepared than they are. YOU are somewhat nurished, hydrated, etc.... they are battling the elements as you speak * Amtrak full of Zeds... It's a possibility, but you gotta realize. If were' talking about Romero Zeds... they know not much else in terms of motor functions aside from 'door knob' and 'Screw top Jar'... Runners (Ala 28 days later), they go down with body shots, not to mention they run right at you. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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timberrattler |
13. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 17 2009, 9:21 AM EDT
| Post edited: Oct 17 2009, 11:14 AM EDT
http://www.gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/06/02/pedal-power-trailcar.htmlTry this link for a picture of a lightweight railcar that is pedal powered (or powered by a briggs) and will hold up to 4 people. Its expensive but a crafty person could build something similar for a lot less money. You could buy the wheels only and build around that. Interesting note on why I'd buy wheels from them. A poly-composite style wheel will not set off alarms and give the guys who watch for that sort of thing an idea that someone whos not supposed to be on the track is on the track. Allowing you to try it out and have fun with your railcar pre-Z day. If you build it light enough you can just lift it out of the way of an on-coming train. A_G, I know you were trying to steer the conversation away from train track vehicles but after all I went through to dig up information on hand cars I thought I aught to at least post some of it. The very best part of this plan is that every noob that comes in here doesn't say they're planning on taking the rails to where they are going. 4 out of 4 found this valuable. Do you? |
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Bipp |
14. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 17 2009, 11:01 AM EDT
*Tainted water from oil, smoke, ect, ect.*Hostile hobos and wild animals *Re-supply is non-existent 'till you find civilization *General exposure to elements besides Winter *Amtrak full of Zedskies :-0 It shouldn't be to hard to find water except in the desert areas. Even if one source is contaminated you should be able to find plenty of water. You should be able to find water in abandoned houses. While walking the rails a person would have to keep a watch and protect against hostiles people and animals any where. You would just have to keep your guard up just like if you were walking along a road. There are usually houses, and businesses along most rail tracks or not to far from the tracks for gathering supplies. You may also come across abandoned trains to search for supplies. Find buildings too get out of the weather in most areas. I would carry a couple of good tarps to use as shelter material. One for a roof and one to stop the wind from blowing in. Also good for shade when it is extremely hot. That situation may happen when walking along roads, with a school bus fill of people, or a Grey Hound. Survivors will face that from every large vehicle or building. A good thing to get now or later would be a "good" road atlas. The better of them will show were rail roads, intercept with roads. 2 out of 2 found this valuable. Do you? |
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AgEnT_GrEEn |
15. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 17 2009, 3:43 PM EDT
Awesome input :)I'm not sure I should even bother with this, but what about weapons? I'm thinking along the lines of hunting and self defense, not HK 416s and UMPs....but I may be wrong. Input from Service members, hunters or people that've 'been there, done that' would be appreciated for this part.....especially any anecdotes, tactics, anything that could be useful. Do you find this valuable? |
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Bipp |
16. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 17 2009, 4:07 PM EDT
This is were I am torn. Do I take my shot gun, or my mini 14. Ether one will do the job for hunting and self defense. Both would be of the easier types of ammo. to scavenge as you travel. The pros and cons are: My Shot Gun - pros.~ reliable, good for hunting a variety of animals, easy to find 12 gauge ammo.. cons.~ ammo. is heavy, and bulky, and my shot gun only holds 5 rounds, and the shot gun it's self is heavy. mini 14 - pros.~ ammo is light and I can carry allot of rounds, decent power, good for hunting, and defense, light weight and easy to carry. cons~ magazines (loss or stolen). I think I just figured it out for my self I would take the mini 14. I would also carry my Beretta 92 9mm because it's the only pistol I own and a back up weapon will always come in handy. A crow bar for getting into building and etc.. Axe (small) for cutting wood, and use as a hammer. Hunting knife, Leather man, and Swiss Army Knife. 3 out of 3 found this valuable. Do you? |
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timberrattler |
17. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 18 2009, 7:05 AM EDT
Well as far as a survival weapon. One that will put meat over the campfire, I'm going to say a 20 guage shotgun. Not most people's choice but let me tell you from experience that if you honestly want to eat everyday those little gimick .22 survival rifles are not the answer.My Franchi shotgun weighs in at a whopping 5.5 lbs and what I get out of that extra weight is a gun that can hit birds on the fly and rabbits on the run. Unless your some kind of trick shooter your not going to do that with a .22 rifle missing its forearm. Trust me thumper the rabbit isn't just going to hop out of the brush and give you a nice broadside profile to shoot at. Same thing goes with any kind of upland game bird. If you have a shotgun that accepts choke tubes thats a big plus and add a slug barrel and you have two weapons in one. A 20 ga. is more accurate than a 12 ga. when it comes to shooting out of a rifled barrel. In conclusion pack a shotgun and a handgun and you'll have your bases covered. 5 out of 5 found this valuable. Do you? |
Iamz0rs |
18. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 18 2009, 8:25 AM EDT
How about getting a locomotive and drive around in that. (on the tracs obviously) Those things are seriously built like fortresses on wheels. And they got an engine strong enough to push whatever crap out of the way. You could also attach a few carts (alot of these looks like fortresses aswell) and load them up with whatever supplies you need. Finding, and learning how to operate one however might be a problem. 0 out of 4 found this valuable. Do you? |
inu-dude25 |
19. RE: Railrod tracks....Pros and Cons:
Oct 18 2009, 10:47 AM EDT
Nice thought A_G, they could serve a purpose for those with no natural sense of direction. And of course a box car could serve as a good temporary shelter. and you can try pillaging any trains that might be stopped along the tracks to see if they have any cargo of value.My only concern would be this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekpD06P7kiI Do you find this valuable? |
