Trains and cows . . .

[Kathie in Thorp]

Sharing a little story with you, in case your pastures may have a bordering or nearby RR trackline: We have an active BNRR line that runs the length of our main pasture. It is well fenced. Earlier this year after seeing 2 dead heifers and one on it's feet traumatized at a X-ing on my way into work one day -- on the same track line that borders us -- it occurred to me that if our cattle escaped/breached the fence and we were trying to get them in, and simply called 911 for local law enforcement, it could take awhile for the call to get pushed up to the RR outfit. Trains roll through here about 50 mph, with 200 cars behind as often as once an hour. We have a friend that works for BNRR, so I asked him to find out for sure our specific location on the track line, per whatever markers the RR uses and get me the hot-line emergency number; he did. Night before last, someone did a sloppy job of gate closing and we got a call from the neighbor that the critters were out. Before I even put a jacket on, I called that RR "hot line" number and train traffic was stopped until we had them all back in, which didn't take very long. But it could have been a disaster! Our cattle would pay absolutely no attention to horns or whistles if they were on the tracks -- they are immune to that. So, if any of you have property that borders a track line, I would encourage you to find out your property's track line location and a direct emergency line.

 

[tater74]

Good advice. Thx.

 

[Hook]

Good thing you had a plan. I'd be having some serious words with whoever didn't close the gate right.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Good thing you had a plan. I'd be having some serious words with whoever didn't close the gate right.

I had them, Hook.

 

[MO_cows]

What a great suggestion! We have RR tracks behind us, it never occurred to me to get their "mile markers".

 

[kenny thomas]

Good post, another thought also. Here when the railroad bought/took the right of ways for their railways they promised the landowner they would maintain the fence. Most people gave up on that long ago. But a friend that had retired from the RR had a calf get out and a trian killed it. He then got after the RR and after several months and some political pull the RR came in and built a new, woven wire with barb on top, very good fence and paid him for his calf.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Good post, another thought also. Here when the railroad bought/took the right of ways for their railways they promised the landowner they would maintain the fence. Most people gave up on that long ago. But a friend that had retired from the RR had a calf get out and a trian killed it. He then got after the RR and after several months and some political pull the RR came in and built a new, woven wire with barb on top, very good fence and paid him for his calf.

Kenny, we lease the RR's right of way ground adjacent to the track and our property. BNRR here has never fenced track side -- that's all on us.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

What a great suggestion! We have RR tracks behind us, it never occurred to me to get their "mile markers".

MO_cows -- there's more to it than just the mile markers. For instance, our location is within a certain BNRR "subdivision" designation. So if you go walking the tracks and just get mile marker numbers, you won't have enough information. Many local "911" dispatch centers have the contacts for the RR companies in your area, and can even match up your location w/ the track area. You could try your local 911 folks (via a non-emergency no., if you have one, so you aren't tying up critical calls) and see if they could provide you with that info, as well as RR contact number. I had a 911 dispatch person tell me that today.

 

[kenny thomas]

Good post, another thought also. Here when the railroad bought/took the right of ways for their railways they promised the landowner they would maintain the fence. Most people gave up on that long ago. But a friend that had retired from the RR had a calf get out and a trian killed it. He then got after the RR and after several months and some political pull the RR came in and built a new, woven wire with barb on top, very good fence and paid him for his calf.

Kenny, we lease the RR's right of way ground adjacent to the track and our property. BNRR here has never fenced track side -- that's all on us.

Ok, here do not allow anything on their right of way. They call it trespass. If you have any historic deeds look at them and see if anything is mentioned.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Good post, another thought also. Here when the railroad bought/took the right of ways for their railways they promised the landowner they would maintain the fence. Most people gave up on that long ago. But a friend that had retired from the RR had a calf get out and a trian killed it. He then got after the RR and after several months and some political pull the RR came in and built a new, woven wire with barb on top, very good fence and paid him for his calf.

Kenny, we lease the RR's right of way ground adjacent to the track and our property. BNRR here has never fenced track side -- that's all on us.

Ok, here do not allow anything on their right of way. They call it trespass. If you have any historic deeds look at them and see if anything is mentioned.

If anything is mentioned about what, Kenny? RR knows we have it fenced.

 

[greybeard]

911 can't even give directions to my house-- much less find a specific section of RR track--or their own butt with both hands and a full length mirror for that matter.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

911 can't even give directions to my house-- much less find a specific section of RR track--or their own butt with both hands and a full length mirror for that matter.

Because of that uncertainty, I dealt direct with RR folks.

 

[kenny thomas]

Kenny, we lease the RR's right of way ground adjacent to the track and our property. BNRR here has never fenced track side -- that's all on us.[/quote]
Ok, here do not allow anything on their right of way. They call it trespass. If you have any historic deeds look at them and see if anything is mentioned.[/quote]
If anything is mentioned about what, Kenny? RR knows we have it fenced.[/quote]

See if anything is mentioned about the fencing. Them promising to keep fences up here in the east made it easier for them to get the right of ways. By the time the fences got bad they seemed to want to forget they had included in the agreements that the RR would maintain the fences. It also says they will keep all brush, trees, briars, weeds cleared between the fence and the tracks. They do not do that either.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Kenny, we lease the RR's right of way ground adjacent to the track and our property. BNRR here has never fenced track side -- that's all on us.

Ok, here do not allow anything on their right of way. They call it trespass. If you have any historic deeds look at them and see if anything is mentioned.[/quote]
If anything is mentioned about what, Kenny? RR knows we have it fenced.[/quote]

See if anything is mentioned about the fencing. Them promising to keep fences up here in the east made it easier for them to get the right of ways. By the time the fences got bad they seemed to want to forget they had included in the agreements that the RR would maintain the fences. It also says they will keep all brush, trees, briars, weeds cleared between the fence and the tracks. They do not do that either.[/quote]

I'd have to go back a loooooong way to try to find that info. But what we do -- leasing the right of way adjacent to our property -- is what happens with just about all the pasture ground adjacent to BNRR. And they do NOT clear brush, etc. They wanted to raise our annual least payment by 50% last year, because of increased property values. I called 'em: "We cannot even get water to that strip of ground, our cattle keep down what grass there is, and we burn or spray the weeds. All we're doing is maintaining this for BNRR!" End of story; no rent increase.

 

[Nesikep]

I've only dealt with Hydro... I imagine RR's are about at the same level.. If they have to do something they will, but it's a slow process