Oregon backyard railroad

[l008com]

So this is about 3000 miles west of where I live. I was in the area on google maps, looking up something that had nothing to do with trains at all. Then I saw a bunch of tracks and looked around (via satellite, you all do it too!). Then I found an odd looking 'road' that I though, man that's gotta be a rail trail. Followed it for a while and yea it was. Then I came across what looked like a new two-track row being built. This blew my mind because around here, rail only dies, it's not born. So I followed THAT for a while (again, all on googlemaps). Then I found this crazy house. Took me a while to figure out what I was looking at. Then I realized, THAT's a HUGE backyard (and frontyard ) railroad! I WANT ONE!
But I'm actually wondering if anyone knows anything about this... I don't know if i should refer to it in model RR terms or real train terms... this layout slash railroad.

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safa ... 7&t=k&z=20

[Kamen Rider]

even better looking 4 months later as you can see a MAX line ready to go behind thier house

[RedLantern]

If you look at the loop in the front yard, it appears to cross the driveway (hidden by the trees). If you look at the driveway in Street View (drag the little yellow guy to the street at the end of the driveway) and look down the driveway you can see a crossbuck. The rest of the yard is pretty well hidden by hedges and other plants so the white X is pretty much the only indication of there being anything railroad related from Street View.

And new tracks do still get put in, especially on light rail lines. It is pretty much guaranteed that you're not going to see any new railroad lines being built in places where there never were tracks before with the exception of short industrial spurs, unless of course we somehow gain a federal budget surplus and decide to copy the French method of HSR, which will probably not happen even in your great grand children's lifetime.

[wigwagfan]

If you go for a bike ride on the I-205 bike path past that you can see either a signal or a switchstand but that's about it. There's a sound wall between the bike path and MAX so if you're on MAX you won't see it (and you can't see MAX from the property).

Don't know anything about the railroad itself...but was curious when I saw the signal when I rode my bike out there a couple months ago. Meant to go back over and take some pictures.