113 Year Old Abandoned Railroad Tracks

[@afloridian9758]

The years have been very, VERY kind to that railroad! The FEC overseas railroad is was built only one year before, but its destroyed beyond recognition!

[@afloridian9758]

Oh! About those rails trails, I’d much rather see and old railroad then a path of stones.

[@afloridian9758]

And did you hear? Even the Ludlum trail which was turned into a trail closed due to “hazardous chemicals” yeah right. Pshhh

[@afloridian9758]

My family and I used to ride the trail because my dad loves to ride bike. Then one day, he noticed it was fenced off. He looked it up, then told us what happened.

[@inarevil]

FYI, the date on the rail is the date that it was rolled at the foundry, not necessarily the date it was laid. A lot of these old branches and industrial spurs will use relay rail (rail that was salvaged from an abandoned or rebuilt track and reused elsewhere) so it is entirely possible that the track in question could be much newer. Just trying to help... ;)

[@inarevil]

@@railrol82 My pleasure! I love watching your videos and I hope that the info I gave you helps you out in future expeditions...

[@thomasmackowiak]

This industrial park was originally switched by the Chicago & North Western Railroad. The switching is now done by the Chicago Terminal Railroad which is owned by Iowa Pacific Holdings. This hyperlink will take you to the Chicago Terminal Railroad website: www.iowapacific.com/railroads/chicago-terminal-railway/ . This hyperlink will take you to the Iowa Pacific Holdings website: www.iowapacific.com/about-iowa-pacific-holdings/ . The track in the industrial park probably came from repurposed C&NW track. I doubt that the spiles that RailROL82 found on the ground date to 1906. The industrial parks west of O'Hare International Airport were built post-World War II. So even the oldest rail spikes in the area would only date back to the late 1940s or early 1950s.

[@midwestmodelrailroadworkshop]

Loving these old abandoned tracks you are finding! That one was in fairly good shape still! Loved the growth around it too. Something about a nice amount of growth really makes an abandoned track look great! Awsome video Roly!

[@shariys1]

Back in Ohio, in my hometown, they did a rails to trails with an abandoned short line track that wrapped around part of the city. It's a nice trail, but it goes thru some hoods that are a little dicey. I sure as heck wouldn't walk it.

[@xaenon]

Sounds familiar. Toledo?

[@southeastvirginiarailfan2110]

Where

[@danieldowling7421]

Oh wow! Insane find! Those tracks definitely have a story to tell. That’s super cool! Great video RailROL!

[@danieldowling7421]

RailROL82 no prob! Thanks for the videos!

[@KevinPlaysGuitar]

Piece of history there. Would be nice to travel back in time and see those tracks being used.

[@RestrictedProceed]

Another fantastic video from the Chicago Area! These rails are so old, but still would be able to bear the train's weight!

[@Papag53]

Go Bears!!

[@gagethedarkrailfan7417]

Nice video RailROL82! That's very old track WOW 113 years ago, WOW the steam train I road on is 138 years old! Sounds like that track probably saw a lot of Steam trains and early diesel WOW that's the oldest track I heard of now, Keep them coming!

[@johnnychimpo3755]

That industrial area in bensenville/elk grove dates back to the 60s 70s the rail was put in by contractors from reclaimed rail from all over that crossing has been tore up since at least 2000 small short line railroads do the switching from cars they get from UP and CP which cross at elmhurst road it’s a fun place to explore lots of relics and surprises!

[@johnnychimpo3755]

RailROL82 it’s amazing the things you find on active lines in the Chicago area but some of the craziest stuff is found on the rails to trails system up here lots of ancient goodies keep up the good work

[@gtavstepfordcounty1733]

according to google street view the last time a train came thru was in october of 2017

[@Alco16-251F]

I was down on the Delaware Lackawanna railroad in Scranton, at their historic diesel shops, and I found a small side track that was laid in 1900!!!!

[@railrol82]

Wow, that sounds like quite a site to see, Joe! Thanks as always for the views and comments.

[@jamesnull6010]

Great video!!! Thanks for posting this!👍🏻🇺🇸

[@railrol82]

My pleasure, James. Thanks as always for the views and comments!

[@marthagutierrez4906]

Great one. To think how very old that track is..super good find !

[@JimBobZee]

I always enjoy the rail walking and your traveling to different states is greatly appreciated.

[@EthantheRailfanner]

Great video, as always!

[@completelydisinterested9298]

Just think; the folks that made and laid that rail are long gone. They probably didn’t think much about people finding their work a hundred years later and think about them? Makes you wonder if someone is going to find our old writing, work or whatever in a hundred years and think about us?

[@mikesteiner6091]

I'm betting that old steam rail was used and relaid as spur line in that bensenville industrial park for M ilwaukee road, Soo Line or whoever had it by then, bears additional research, good job ! Keep researching all those old industrial parks in area around Chicago and suburbs!

[@3superpar]

To answer your question, in a hundred to two hundred years people are going to look at what we have left behind and say, Oh look, here is the work of the people who ruined everything.

[@curtnicholson7771]

That is the oldest I've seen! I am surprised that you haven't run into a batch of poison ivy yet! Another nice find. You know another reason I like seeing the old rails still in is say this country (God I pray it never happens) gets into a total horrific war ever again, the old rails could possibly be used almost immediately by cutting brush down, quick inspecting track and bridges, maybe making minor repairs and then get trains moving slowly. Then repairs could start taking place if rail speeds need to increase on that section of rail. Because I've seen some videos of rails in very bad shape being used.

[@AmazingJames1987]

The erie-like sound coming from the plant, especially near around the two tank cars made this a greater viewing experience for the kind of upload this is. Nice vid!

[@michaelhayes1340]

Wow Ashland city tennessee has a abandoned railroad track which did run from Nashville to Ashland city was going to run a computer train but the bridge going over cumberland river is not in the best of shape great video sir glad that you found those spikes I love collecting them myself

[@railrol82]

Michael, that brings up an interesting question, I'm going to be visiting Nashville for Xmas this year. Any recommendations rail or otherwise?

[@suzannewilde6733]

Wide World of Trains was just showing one of the side tracks. Using Thermite, they welded a lighter rail from 1957 to a heavier rail from 2007. It's working. It is a CSX line at Dunkirk, NY.

[@suzannewilde6733]

@@railrol82 You're welcome.

[@send2gl]

That is amazing.

[@joeruggiero9538]

The date stamp on the rails could also be when they were made. That line could have been built later on. I don’t know if rails are made to order , or if they are premade.

[@TNS17]

That is amazing!

[@Mike-tg7dj]

I would really love to buy that piece of 113-year-old rail personally. Great video by the way. It looks to me like they just shifted the spur over or really abandoned it pulling out the switch and replacing it with rails going down to the current customer. Who knows maybe that was a secondary tanker offloading platform. The Old Hickory Dupont plant has all sorts of tracks to nowhere. My favorite there is the single track that use to serve a branch of the chemical plant now serves an empty lot. It's sad to go by there knowing that the plant stretched from Old Hickory Lock and Dam to Old Hickory village an area of roughly eight square miles. It was big enough to have its own powerhouse that served four or five plants that made a variety of plastics. Now its all made in China with the except of a state of the art fiber optic plant. You should have seen all the wasted material they pumped out until they perfected the process. Now they get a train a day of raw material which consists of about 10 or 12 cars five days a week.

[@awizardalso]

I got a few railroad ties to outline my parking spaces and drive way a few years ago. One had a tie plate and three spikes that I pulled off. I did remove the rust from the spikes and coated them with clear gloss Rustoleum paint. If I can find a containers big enough to put the tie plate in, I'll remove the rust from it and coat it with clear gloss Rustoleum to keep it from rusting.

[@awizardalso]

@@railrol82 It does keep them from rusting. I think flat, or satin clear may be better for appearance than the shiny clear. I do have a turntable made from an 18 inch circle of plywood mounted on a ball bearing spinner for a heavy chair, that I salvaged from one that was being thrown away. It does make it easier to paint something to get all sides of what I'm painting. I just sent an email with a picture of what railroad things I have.

[@Papag53]

See this a lot in the southeast. Behind industrial parks. Will now pay closer attention. Thank you.

[@billy-bobboozer873]

1906 is when the rail was manufactured - not necessarily the date it was installed. Railroads often repurposed rail to cut costs. As someone stated earlier, this was farmland until the 1970s. Additionally, the alloy used for rail is completely different that used for spikes. Spikes are very rarely reused - too much liability if they break or snap. That is why you almost always see track crews using new spikes when refurbishing track. Lastly, even the best hardwood ties only last 25 years before they need replacing; therefore, the spikes will only be as old as the ties.

[@fredthompson4568]

Think about it 1906, absolutely the oldest yet . Does 12" (1ft.) Of rail weigh 80lbs? Or even more? American steel!...Wonder what ALLOYS are in modernday rail.

[@xanadujohn79]

All of these tracks are around the Centex Industrial Park in Elk Grove Village/Bensenville Illinois. These were laid in the late 1950's to Early 60's using rail that forged/rolled in 1920's/30's

[@jameskeen1492]

I think I would have left the RR spikes right where they were... if everyone takes a handful of spikes when they see them, all of the remnants of old railroads will be gone.

[@inarevil]

As an aside, using the coordinates from your Google Maps link, I checked with HistoricAerials.com and the first time tracks appeared at this location was the early 1970's. Prior to that, it was farmland.

[@inarevil]

@@railrol82 That rail is in EXCELLENT shape for 113 years old, but the fact that is was so lightly used could attest to that.

[@michael7423]

Good day Sir, I don’t like rail lines taken for trails or anything else for that matter. I hope there will be a resurgence of rail use and growth! Once the tracks are gone and the real estate is repurposed it’s almost impossible to reclaim for RR use, it may be a pipe dream but I think rail transportation is and will be more helpful for the planet. River barge and rail transportation is so much more efficient rather than trucks and auto’s. Europe and Asia are way ahead of the USA in rail, there must be a good reason to go rail!

[@msnow22000]

michael Nope. They mostly haul people there. The freight trains are really short. America thinks they are catching up by putting in commuter and light rail. They remove access to rail shippers and put more trucks on the road so they can move shady individuals around at a consistent loss to the tax payer. I’ve seen these sidings disappear in a lot of places. Once they’re gone, that’s it. It won’t return.

[@ernestpassaro9663]

The reason they were abandoned is because railroad freight service sucks and also america is much larger than those little shitty countries in Europe

[@roballen5670]

Rails to Trails suck. The City of Wheeling Wv did it. Now no industries want to set up shop here.

[@southeastvirginiarailfan2110]

Ikr history put to waste

[@BizarreAdventuresYouTube]

Nice video as always! a few weeks ago a friend and I went out on an old tussle bridge got some great shots I been too lazy to upload the video.

[@markreardon3472]

Not sure who's line this was originally but back in the 50s-60s&70s in the Chicagoland area the C&O, B&O, GT, EL, Penn Central, Michigan Central, EJ&E and others. It was a busy place with a variety of railroads to see.

[@markreardon3472]

@@railrol82 I saw it just a few months after the Erie was abandoned through Griffith. Visited more than a few times. Always a headlight coming from one direction or the next. It was good.

[@conrailjohn6682]

Cool vid! These are great finds. Nice they can be shared with others. How can I get a spike?

[@conrailjohn6682]

@@railrol82 what is next step to place order?

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

great video RailROL82 trains most likely never using that rail line again ?

[@BryantsRailfanProductions]

Nice video!

[@HZCAR-trains]

Good job my friend, I like your video! Best regards from Croatia :-)

[@carolinasport1315]

Great video, keep it up!

[@jamesstallings2007]

Nice find !!!

[@michael7423]

I’m also sure that rail was on a mainline then when the main was updated the smaller rail was reused for sidings until it wound up as an industrial spur that used to be the norm on the old big RR’s / stay safe and thanks again for your hard work

[@MetraTitanicWTC]

Omg, the track look so cool, but probably sooner the track will be removed. OLD TIMES!!!!!!

[@CSXNSTrainVideos]

Wow!

[@meachpieters2457]

RailRod82 what's new two things. One Meachie loves you. Two nice video. Always fascinating.50% a agency is helping find work. 50% depressed. You know what I said to myself. RailRod82 loves his friend Meachie. Thank you for keeping me motivated. Sometimes I think of you. Meachie what's new? RailRod82 loves Meachie. 1906? That's a long time ago

[@bowservlogs8216]

Very nice video!!!

[@bowservlogs8216]

@@railrol82 Your welcome!!

[@chrisworld2]

I have seen “1925” stamped on what looked like brand new fresh rails on a high speed line, so my guess is they store the rails for years if they have excess before using them. So this railway could be that old or it could be much newer.

[@jeffryseitz9699]

Cool video.

[@taslimchoudhary1253]

Amazing Video 🇮🇳

[@kevinhoward9593]

You have to admit that they have held up very well for being that old.

[@joelchristensen9503]

Awesome clip. Do not like rails to trails, but the railroad can always take the right of way back right?

[@reelfishinhere8866]

you one of the best railfaners

[@reelfishinhere8866]

@@railrol82 not a problem bro

[@paulsimkins3895]

👍👍👍👍 have you ever been charged with trespassing just wondering

[@eolafan100]

Paul Simkins at the beginning of his video in question there is a note on the screen that says the track is owned by Iowa Pacific and then he picks up spikes off the ground and offer us to sell them to his viewers… What a real classy act (not).

[@walterfink9782]

I would think, that if they wanted to take up the rail for scrap, they would have done it by now. As you've shown, there are many hundreds of miles, of unwanted track, laying around, all over the world. Some of this track, has locomotives and rolling stock, parked for good, on it. It looks like, removing rail for scrap, isn't the highest priority. If you look around, old abandoned streetcar tracks, can be found, as well. If you keep looking, you'll find, thousands of abandoned buildings of all types, still standing around, in all stages of decay.

[@Texasdude987]

Pretty awesome video railrol keep it up

[@Computist40]

wow that is the oldest rail i've seen yet

[@skylandersgeek7122]

I have a few l&n railroad spikes from 1935 I tell you want they are pitted and rusty but I still see them mark on top they have LAN HC

[@railrol82]

Nice! I always wanted to explore an old LN track. Maybe one day. Take good care of that spike!

[@dodgydruid]

Rail trails are a menace here in the UK, it seems the rights of the cyclist and walker are more important than restoring the old line they have filched and they refuse to even accept a dual use system where a rail line is alongside a walking and cycling trail :( Whole areas cut off in the sixties screaming for rail connection and held back cos some puffed up walkers have to have their walk just so :( You would love it here in the UK, thousands of miles of abandoned and dismantled railways everywhere, some of it just left to nature, much of it turned over to these stupid trails.

[@DouglasP201]

The oldest tracks in your video so far ROL82, probably seen tons of steam activity back in the days.

[@DouglasP201]

@@railrol82 That's because I never miss your videos, unless I'm working :p

[@mistavicta6560]

Those tracks are older than my dad i didnt think thats possible !

[@mistavicta6560]

He is 71

[@paducahandlouisvillerailro1694]

I have a brand new Pennsylvania Railroad spike from 1950

[@railrol82]

Awesome, take good care of it. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@kevin_1979]

Selling railroad stakes that don't belong to you? Just because it's not used doesn't mean you now own it.

[@williamhirsch4347]

This could be relay rail. Many railroads reuse rail from the mainline and use on sidings and yard tracks.

[@walterlangston4253]

there is a rail line here in mount hope that will be remove for a rail trail be sad to see it go

[@CrazyKaboose]

Go protest lol

[@walterlangston4253]

the good news is the city of mount hope dose not have the money to buy the line and the mayer we got not is not doing a good job running the city so the line is safe for now @@railrol82

[@saidbakr]

I could not able to believe that. Rails with this age should posses more corrosion rather than shown.

[@ferenctakacs3138]

Köszönöm! Jó videó lett! Egy öreg elhagyott vágány.

[@suzannewilde6733]

Do not like Rails To Trails either. My grandfather worked on the Reading Railroad in Reading, PA. Would love to see more people ride the trains again.

[@suzannewilde6733]

@@railrol82 He was a man's man. He started when they had steam trains. I guess that is where I got my love of trains.

[@god-fp7lc]

Wow that some old rail and the rails are destroyed they will never run on that rail line

[@god-fp7lc]

Np-No problem :)

[@jeffrumbach150]

Roli you ever find out who was the customer on the end of that line

[@Damon810Railfan]

Those Tracks are Slowly Turning Into a Creek Lol

[@melperry3576]

considering the shape of the rail, this must have been slightly used, if at all

[@raymondwedley]

Like This Video

[@dsmith9964]

ADMX? Archer Daniels Midland?

[@dsmith9964]

@@railrol82 Thanks! ADMX was just a guess! I can guess that those tankers were filled with corn syrup! Was that an ADM facility where the tankers were parked?

[@metrorailinlosangelesprodu4407]

Do the math guys a fun way to do it 1906 -2019 = 113

[@NSNUT2013]

how much for a spike?? :) I always like adding them to my model train layout just for kicks

[@NSNUT2013]

@@railrol82 okay. I would be interested in one from the video of the 113 year old rail ya filmed

[@shariys1]

Iowa Pacific is a railroad slumlord. 😝 Why don't they yank that out of there ...

[@transportfan2]

Those tracks sure look disused...

[@ernestpassaro9663]

They were last used when babe Ruth was still playing lol

[@railrol82]

LOL Wow yes, you blew me away with that Babe Ruth reference!

[@ernestpassaro9663]

@@railrol82 looks like that’s when it was last used ha ha

[@ernestpassaro9663]

@@railrol82 did you ever read that book by John stover the life and decline of the American railroad it’s a really good informative book

[@ernestpassaro9663]

@@railrol82 think it’s John p stover

[@ernestpassaro9663]

The babe drank a few beers there while dodging steam locomotives lol

[@schroed]

Your selling spikes your stealing from private property of the railroad?

[@curtis13450]

Hello

[@curtis13450]

Hot day today Florida hobo

[@trainfanTheRobloxTrainFan]

WHOA IOWA PACIFIC AGAIN? :DDDDDD IOWA WHERE I LIVE IOWA! EASTERN IOWA :D :D

[@HikariIkea]

廃線跡ですね。

[@jadenalexander1153]

I want a spike

[@calpeninsularailfan]

I hate bike trails.