Seeing a potential for the unused E&N rail line on Vancouver Island, a Parksville resident has built a recreational rail bike to ride along the tracks of the once functioning railroad.
Russell Ramsden, 71, said he found plans for the Bentley Railbike while scanning the internet. He built the attachments for the bike using wood and metal and added an outrigger on the left side of the bike that attaches to the opposite track for balance.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just a bicycle with an attachment on the front,B次元官网网址� Ramsden said. B次元官网网址淚 was interested in building this because the railroad bed is maximum a one-per-cent grade, so thatB次元官网网址檚 pretty flat. I thought this would be a kind of cool way to look around and see whatB次元官网网址檚 around here that you canB次元官网网址檛 see from the road.B次元官网网址�
He said riding the bike along the railroad is surprisingly easy.
B次元官网网址淚t does glide very well,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he one down sideB次元官网网址� thereB次元官网网址檚 a fair bit of growth on the tracks in certain areas which is really too bad. (The bike) has a little cow catcher on the front which pushes stuff out of the way. When you hit some broom or something itB次元官网网址檚 pretty tough stuff.B次元官网网址�
Ramsden said he gets a lot of his creative ideas from the Oceanside MakerSpace group. The group holds an open house on WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 from 6- 9 p.m. downstairs in the McMillian Art Centre.
RELATED:
B次元官网网址淚 joined because there is a lot of creative people there,B次元官网网址� Ramsden said.
Ramsden, who is a former college woodwork teacher, is in the works of making another railbike for his wife and is also planning on making a four-person bike.
B次元官网网址淭hat railroad is just sitting there, it has such a huge potential,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎ll our politicians donB次元官网网址檛 seem to be able to reach an agreement with what to do with that. IB次元官网网址檝e been thinking about the possibility of, once I get the four-seater bike done, possibly thinking about a tourist attraction using the rails if we can get permissions.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚f you look up rail parks online youB次元官网网址檒l see there are lots of areas where there are abandoned rail lines where theyB次元官网网址檙e being used for tourism.B次元官网网址�
Ramsden has not yet received permission from the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) to ride along the tracks.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 sure (getting permission) would take forever. (The ICF) had seven years to do something with it. Why canB次元官网网址檛 we use it and get some use out of it? Ramsden said. B次元官网网址淚 think we need people on the respective governments with some vision that can see the bigger picture.B次元官网网址�
Ramsden believes it will be B次元官网网址渁 matter of liabilityB次元官网网址� if the ICF contact him about his railbike.
Phil Kent, co-chair of the ICF, said the rail is private property and still considered active.
B次元官网网址淭here could be maintenance vehicles moving up and down the rail. I would suggest that (a railbike) is not safe and itB次元官网网址檚 certainly not an approved use,B次元官网网址� Kent said. He said that people who want to access the rail should go through the ICF.
B次元官网网址淭hey would be referred to the rail operators who are responsible ultimetey for safety and liability on the rail,B次元官网网址� Kent said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not that somebody couldnB次元官网网址檛 get permission to use the rail but thereB次元官网网址檚 a process for that.B次元官网网址�
Send story tips: karly.blats@pqbnews.com
