# Why has no one considered these for a BOV?



## ranran4

Greetings all;

I have always heard that the rail system was our most durable transportation infrastructure. Therefore I present my vote for ultimate BOV.

I live in an area in-between coal-country, and the coast of Virginia, with a large rail presence here as a result. We see these all the time, but I'm not exactly sure what to call them. Maybe somebody with a heavy machinery background can correctly name them. They can be 2wd or 4wd (my first choice) and they do come smaller, as well as larger than this, but this one was parked beside me at wallyworld so I shot a few pics.

My rationale/thinking:

-dual use; road when you need it, rail as well (needless to say)

-outfit this thing with a standard camping setup and armor it and you essentially have a portable BOS as well

-change the motor to a military multi-fuel unit and you can run anything in it 
anywhere

-even if you armor plate it to the gills and pack it full of supplies, you will be 
NOWHERE CLOSE to what the average rail car weighs, so you are able to 
use the entirety of the rail system anywhere in the entire country

-park it on a large bridge over water and you essentially have only two points 
of possible conflict (front and rear) and you will more than likely see the 
zombies coming from a mile away

-while parked over the bridge you can procure fish, water, dump your grey 
water, etc

-99% of the vehicles in the free world can't follow you.

-Only drawback I see is initial cost, so I will either wait on Jay Leno to 
sponsor me, or keep playing the lottery.

*Get out of dodge turns to get AWAY from dodge; regardless of where it is...*


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## Moby76065

You can add those Rail way wheels to any truck. I never thought about it before but the rail system would be a good way to get out of major cities. Trains will stop running in a Zombie world so you wouldn't have to worry about that.


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## Magus

Nice concept.I'm holding out for a Brinks truck myself.


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## mosquitomountainman

Those are an excellent idea. We've thought of using them too.


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## CapnJack

Procuring one would not be easy for many folks. It would work beautifully as a BOV, I think too, but availability is one of the downsides. Now, Moby's comment on adding them to other trucks would certainly help. Wonder how expensive that'd be to do...


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## ranran4

CapnJack said:


> Procuring one would not be easy for many folks. It would work beautifully as a BOV, I think too, but availability is one of the downsides. Now, Moby's comment on adding them to other trucks would certainly help. Wonder how expensive that'd be to do...


_True, but I was talkling about issues/money no object. That's why I said 99% of all the vehicles in the free world couldn't follow you?_


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## ContinualHarvest

In the East the problem of derelict trains along the way may pose significant hinderance to travel via the rails at some point. There are long stretches of rail that would be clear and be a viable route in the midwest though.


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## ranran4

ContinualHarvest said:


> In the East the problem of derelict trains along the way may pose significant hinderance to travel via the rails at some point. There are long stretches of rail that would be clear and be a viable route in the midwest though.


That's why they have the lights I thought. Aren't they automatic?

Besides that, if keep your ears open, you can always jump rail if something is coming, I mean, it is a truck too?

We feel them before we hear them sometimes around here...


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## mojo4

That's a good idea! In my area they use 1 ton pickups and add on the track wheels but the propelling force is still the rubber tire against the rail so you can jump off the track at any time. Out west there are huge sections of rail nowhere near roads for good bugout hidey holes. Although you technically don't need track wheels as long as your tires match up to the rail width (most full size SUV and trucks do) having rail tracks just makes it far easier to drive on. Good idea again!


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## oldvet

If you have a 12 volt comressor that you can air your tires back up with, then all you need to do is drive on to the rails and release enough air from each tire so the tire forms around the rail and off you go. No need to steer, just set the cruise control (if you have it) and roll on.


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## mojo4

Hey vet won't that break the bead and ruin the tire? What about a set of throwaway rims you don't mind trashing? I see hoodlums running on rims all the time on wild police videos!!


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## Wanderer0101

I've thought pretty seriously about rail bikes. Pretty cheap option and it is something you could deploy when needed.

http://rrbike.freeservers.com/


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## Jimmy24

Standard gauge track is 4' 8 1/2" from inside to inside of the tracks. Considering the front wheel track on a standard Chevrolet truck is 5.4 feet, letting the air out wouldn't do much good. 

If you observe these trucks that the RR uses, the wheels are usually severely reversed, so to make them touch the tracks correctly and power the truck down the track.

BTW standard gauge track is used in 60% of the worlds RRs. So if you got the resourses, to aquire one of these trucks, it might work out pretty good.

Jimmy


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## oldvet

mojo4 said:


> Hey vet won't that break the bead and ruin the tire? What about a set of throwaway rims you don't mind trashing? I see hoodlums running on rims all the time on wild police videos!!


Truthfully I really don't know if it would break the bead or not. I saw it done in the movie "The Flimflam Man" and yes I realize it was a movie stunt but it sure looked doable to me.


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## oldvet

Jimmy24 said:


> Standard gauge track is 4' 8 1/2" from inside to inside of the tracks. Considering the front wheel track on a standard Chevrolet truck is 5.4 feet, letting the air out wouldn't do much good.
> 
> If you observe these trucks that the RR uses, the wheels are usually severely reversed, so to make them touch the tracks correctly and power the truck down the track.
> 
> BTW standard gauge track is used in 60% of the worlds RRs. So if you got the resourses, to aquire one of these trucks, it might work out pretty good.
> 
> Jimmy


Okey dokey then, so much for that idea. Damn now it's back to the drawing board.


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## Jimmy24

oldvet said:


> Okey dokey then, so much for that idea. Damn now it's back to the drawing board.


I actually thought it a good idea....get some reversed wheels and the right tires and it could be done. Shoot just add some sort of L shaped bracket to the frame to keep it on the the tracks, ala "roller coaster"....:beercheer::melikey:

Jimmy


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## Marcus

http://www.harscorail.com/hy-rail/SalesBrochures/HR1500 SeriesC12-14-09.pdf
http://www.mitchell-railgear.com/product-listing.php/5027/132

You might find one in a junkyard though I think you might be better off (cheaper) figuring out how to use 2 axles and wheel rims attached to your vehicle (like from a trailer.)


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## Jimthewagontraveler

I can buy rail car wheels at the local scrap yard quite often.
You would not believe what those weigh


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## kappydell

hand operated rail cars have been used by other 'non-paying' rail users since way back. It works better with two people (one punps, the other spells them) and can be moved off-rail by carrying if you come upon a rail impediment. Takes a strong back, though.


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## OldCootHillbilly

Magus said:


> Nice concept.I'm holding out for a Brinks truck myself.


Brinks truck with a high railer addition!


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## NooB2ItAll

That truck is called a sperry car... It tests the rails integrity looking for cracks and defects that a human track inspector cannot see... 
As for traveling by high railer (a truck equipped with retractable rail wheels) or a procured engine would be tough going for a few reasons. First would be abandoned trains and rail cars, your not going far with one in the way. Second switches, we use a powered switch which mean that unless you know how to and have the proper tools you can't throw it manually, so if you have a switch thrown and its taking you in a direction you don't want to go well that makes that useless (I'm sorry but I cannot and will not go into how to manually throw a power switch on a public forum). Third we don't have signs that tell you what track goes where so you may go in. Direction you don't want to go. And finally you need a crossing to put your high rail truck on the rails, there are LOTS of places where there aren't any crossings for miles and miles so if something happens your screwed.
Now all is not lost, my plan is to use the rail system (you may have figured that i work for a railroad by now) but not until things calm down enough to where I can take my time and explore and set my routes the way I want them (no speeding around a blind curve and smacking into the back of an abandoned engine) Now in the event of an emp well I'll be looking for a steam engine or a two person pump cart lol
Oh and I almost forgot just in case you were curious riding/driving a high rail truck is NOT as cool as you would think its extremely boring lol


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## Wanderer0101

NooB2ItAll said:


> That truck is called a sperry car... It tests the rails integrity looking for cracks and defects that a human track inspector cannot see...
> As for traveling by high railer (a truck equipped with retractable rail wheels) or a procured engine would be tough going for a few reasons. First would be abandoned trains and rail cars, your not going far with one in the way. Second switches, we use a powered switch which mean that unless you know how to and have the proper tools you can't throw it manually, so if you have a switch thrown and its taking you in a direction you don't want to go well that makes that useless (I'm sorry but I cannot and will not go into how to manually throw a power switch on a public forum). Third we don't have signs that tell you what track goes where so you may go in. Direction you don't want to go. And finally you need a crossing to put your high rail truck on the rails, there are LOTS of places where there aren't any crossings for miles and miles so if something happens your screwed.
> Now all is not lost, my plan is to use the rail system (you may have figured that i work for a railroad by now) but not until things calm down enough to where I can take my time and explore and set my routes the way I want them (no speeding around a blind curve and smacking into the back of an abandoned engine) Now in the event of an emp well I'll be looking for a steam engine or a two person pump cart lol
> Oh and I almost forgot just in case you were curious riding/driving a high rail truck is NOT as cool as you would think its extremely boring lol


Good info. Ever seen anyone riding a rail bike?


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## NooB2ItAll

Motorized ones only in videos. I ran across a teenage boy who had built a pedal bike contraption and asked if he could test it. I had to tell him no for liability reasons. I was curious if it would work and if he had the balance to ride the rail but it wasn't worth my job.

The railroad is a VERY dangerous place especially if you are unfamiliar with what's going on. I highly suggest that everyone just stay away from an operational line. And remember trespassing on railroad property is a federal offense. Now once SHTF all bets are off I guess.


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## zombieresponder

Off the top of my head:

Zilch for offroad capability. It would probably get hung up in the first wash on the way to my BOL.

Replacement parts. I don't know about the pictured truck specifically, but the pickups have narrower axle housing widths than normal. That means axleshafts would be nearly impossible to procure a replacement for, versus a regular truck where you'd be able to yank one out of an abandoned identical model. You'd have an equally hard time finding replacement parts for the rail wheel system if required. I'd guess the rest of the drivetrain is pretty standard, but who knows.

Fuel. I don't know what kind of fuel mileage those trucks get, but I'd imagine it can't be too good with all the extra weight of those wheels and hydraulic system. You're not going to find many rail side fuel stations, and you need a road crossing to get on or off the track. I'm guessing you'd either run out of fuel or be stopping at every crossing to scavenge fuel.

Manueverability. Terrible for a box truck, borderline for an extended cab or four door long bed pickup(the latter two are what I usually see here).


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## Tirediron

If someone was considering running on a decommissioned section of railway, or after a shtf, an ATV with fabricated rail wheels might be a good plan, the fuel consumption should improve drasticly,while it might be a bit of work to change to the wheels, life is full of work.


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## Lindyann42

My neighbor made him a little cart to ride down to his deer stand. He used lawnmower rims without the tires on them. Every time he got on the tracks, it caused an uproar in Denver, and I am in SW AR. He didn't know anything was going on about it, and just hopped on his cart, rode to his stand, and took it off the tracks when he got there. Finally, one day, the railroad caught him. He just told me he won't be doing that anymore. The old fella was my concrete finisher for years.
I saw a railroad truck for sale at the auto auction last week. I could buy it. It has the reversed wheels. You could make your own dolly wheels to ride on the tracks, just manually lift them with a turnbuckle or something. The older trucks would ride the tracks. Trucks from maybe the early 60's and before. I have rode those tracks in a pickup before. I believe I was in a '58 Apache, with bias ply tires.


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## LincTex

NooB2ItAll said:


> As for traveling by procured engine .... I cannot and will not go into how to on a public forum


Hahahaha! "here's the master switch, here's the fuel pump switch, here's the throttle, the brake release, this is the start lever...."

All that aside, I know rail engines hold 1000's of gallons of diesel at a time.


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## Dakine

High Railers get wiped out often enough as it is, I would not want to go cruising the country on one in the PAW.

Problems on rails become serious in miniscule amounts of time that most people cant comprehend. Either the train stops miles down the track and the crew is walking back to find out what they just hit, or everything comes to a really fast stop, RTFN!

I used to work for the ATSF before they became the big new santa fe


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## invision

Here you go... $5500 gets it... http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds/classified.php?id=5819


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## Resto

I havent considered it because even today perps mess with the rails.
If I were to be on a rail line far from roads and had to get off the rail, Id be going cross country, not very easy considering the obstacles. Good idea though shortest path between 2 points, if I knew where I wanted to go.


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