How wide is the right of way?

Sorry if this isn't the place to ask this, but I'd like to know how far a railroad's property extends from the track. The track itself along with the ballast is a no-brainer, but how far away from them would I have to stay to avoid tresspassing?

Thanks.
Jay

The definitive answer is "It depends". You should assume 7' from the centerline ALWAYS if only because that's how big cars can be. However, 15' is more or less a standard 30' wide ROW. But the ROW can be wider than that as well. Worse, if the railroad isn't paying attention, and people encroach, you can't even depend on the fences to tell you whose property you're really on.

The best practical answer is "If it looks like railroad property, it probably is railroad property".

In some places I've encountered 75 and even wider ROW's. The former LV mainline was 99 feet in many places.

With track reduction over the past 30+ years some ROW's can be hundreds of feet with only one or two tracks. Just because there are no tracks doesn't mean the RR doesn't still own it. If it doesn't look like Public property, STAY OUT!

I guess what I'm really asking is, if I approach the tracks from a public access point or from private property with permission, how far away from the tracks do I need to stay before train crews would consider me to be tresspassing? I've read a few posts on here about people who would rather turn people in to the bulls than not and it has me a bit paranoid. (Don't get me started on the whole terrorist/Homeland Security thing. Sad as the deaths due to 9/11 were, they're only a fraction of the number that die every year due to accidental falls in the home or illnesses caused by smoking.)

Actually I can't imagine standing only 15 feet away from a train going 50 or 60 MPH anyway: that would give me the willies. Those suckers are big and heavy!

I've seen some railfan photos that looked like they were taken quite near the tracks. I don't know if these were done with telephoto lenses or not and I'm trying to figure out what I can do legally using my mere 3x zoom.

I would not stray onto fenced or otherwise normally inaccesible land near any tracks, or anything that looks like railroad property. I'm just wanting to make sure I "keep my nose clean" if and when I go out railfanning for my first time.

motterj wrote:I'm just wanting to make sure I "keep my nose clean" if and when I go out railfanning for my first time.

I wouldn't worry about it. I'd stay off any property that appears to be railroad ROW, and away from anything that looks unsafe. In particular, don't take photographs when you're close to a drop-off. It's VERY easy to lose your balance when looking through a viewfinder.

Now, as roadster points out, you may still be on property owned by the railroad. However, if it doesn't look like that to you, it won't look like it to trainmen, nor to a railroad dick. So as long as you don't do anything stupid (aka harmful to yourself or to railroad property or operations) then you won't attract anybody's attentiion.

You can always try waving at the engineer. Always worked for me when I was young, small, and cute.

RussNelson wrote:
You can always try waving at the engineer. Always worked for me when I was young, small, and cute.

Haha! I'd planned to do that! Though I'm no longer any of those three.

Mostly please stay well back of the tracks for safety's sake. Stay off of bridges, Trestles, tunnels, and any place of close, limited clearance. Personally, I would recommend at least 100ft. You never can tell whats hanging off the side of some of those cars, including lumber, metal banding strips, and all kinds of trash, some of which you'd never see untill it hit you. Enjoy, but use your head and becareful

Banding Strips Whew they are very dangerous alot of the time something is hanging off the side. Ive even seen grabirons bent out going along waiting to impail someone. So be Very Careful. Just use common sense, that helps alot.

RussNelson wrote:if the railroad isn't paying attention, and people encroach, you can't even depend on the fences to tell you whose property you're really on.

The best practical answer is "If it looks like railroad property, it probably is railroad property".

in general when railfaning I keep a distance of 40-50 ft and if possable farther. Had a passing train kick a brake shoe once and it was enough to freek me out even thow I have seen it happen many times in my day I ofton forget that things like that do happen. I can also rember watching a train pass by me with a listing UPS Trailer on it about 10 mineuts later and 5 miles down the road anouther train reported a smashed up trailer and a lot of boxes along the right of way. I thank God it did not come of near me.


I also once heard a story of a guy who built a new addtion on his house shortley after the Conrail Split NS got the line next to this guys house. After a few Weeks passed NS had sent survayors out to mesure out there right of way and so forth. They had 100 ft of extra land to there East Side and 250ft to there west side of there ROW this went back to a time when this section of track was double tracked by the NYC and was this way under PC and CR till the late 80's. Any ways NS found out that this guys addtion was on the property and they took this guy to court got an evection notice and had the addtion removed from there land. It sounds crazy but its did happen.

dozhtdarogainzhinyer wrote:I also once heard a story of a guy who built a new addtion on his house shortley after the Conrail Split NS got the line next to this guys house. After a few Weeks passed NS had sent survayors out to mesure out there right of way and so forth. They had 100 ft of extra land to there East Side and 250ft to there west side of there ROW this went back to a time when this section of track was double tracked by the NYC and was this way under PC and CR till the late 80's. Any ways NS found out that this guys addtion was on the property and they took this guy to court got an evection notice and had the addtion removed from there land. It sounds crazy but its did happen.

Though I'm sure the Home Owner did what he was suppose to I don't blame the railroad for doing what they did. Who ever appoved the addition to be built should have looked at property lines etc. before allowing it to happen. Now the Home owner has lost his house (part of hit anyhow) and he still has to pay for it the addtion. That must have been a really bad day for them.

the average is 25 feet from center of nearest rail, for photography etc. if your within pole lines or visible markations your gone get called in.

If there's a sign there saying "No Trespassing, Railroad Property" good chance your at that point.

As I recall, NJ law allows railroads to acquire by eminent domain a right of way up to 200 feet in width, and wider than that if needed because of terrain, e.g., a deep cut or side of a slope. Some are that width, others are less.

I was told by an owner, that the Morristown and Erie, a single track shortline of only a few miles in NJ, has sections that are 200 feet wide.