Vandalized Trestle

[BlueMoonMuskrat]

While hiking Saturday, I came across this.

Looks like someone took a circular saw to the planks on top of the trussel and removed a section about two feet wide.

There is the possiblilty that they are getting ready to replace the old, rotting beam beneath, but unfortunently, I think a dirt biker is going to break his neck, or fly off the trussel, or both. This has been done very recently; I hiked the same route only a few weeks ago and the trussel was intact. It is the first trussel you cross while hiking northeast along the tracks from Atsion.

 

[AJ1957]

I think a dirt biker is going to break his neck, or fly off the trussel, or both.

Do dirt bikes frequent the trail either legally or illegally?
It looks like someone may have been run of the trail by a biker one to many times.

If it was a repair project I’m sure the state would have signage and construction tape up.

 

[Teegate]

It looks like a repair that is not finished. However, that also makes it dangerous.


Guy

 

[46er]

If that's a repair job, I would expect to see BIG blockades on either side of the trestle. Any contractor that works like that is asking for a lawsuit.

 

[Teegate]

I may be wrong, but I doubt a contractor put those boards down. I suspect it was someone who wanted to be able to ride their bikes across it.

Guy

 

[RednekF350]

Looks like neatly executed sabotage, probably done with a cordless circular saw.
Someone either doesn't like motorcycles or they are just thoughtless vandals looking to get someboby killed.

Or how about this:
The gap could be intentional and the builder keeps the missing panel in the woods nearby and inserts it on an as needed business.
It looks like there is enough edge bearing on the tie for a panel to rest on.

The makeshift crossing at the Parkdale trestle a little further up from is in bad shape but is just deteriorating. I used to cross that one back in the 70's and 80's on my motorcycle.

 

[ecampbell]

That's vandalism, read my thread from 2006.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=2705

Someone has been going to alot of trouble blocking the fire breaks with logs from High Crossing to Hampton Furnace for the past 6 months. I haven't run into them yet but have been watching. I hike the breaks and could get my dogs across the bridge when it was paved. This guy's really annoying me. It kind of defeats the purpose of the break if you bridge them with combustables.

 

[james ungehajer]

That's vandalism, read my thread from 2006.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=2705

Someone has been going to alot of trouble blocking the fire breaks with logs from High Crossing to Hampton Furnace for the past 6 months. I haven't run into them yet but have been watching. I hike the breaks and could get my dogs across the bridge when it was paved. This guy's really annoying me. It kind of defeats the purpose of the break if you bridge them with combustables.

Ed

From your 2006 thread, do you know, or anyone, who cut the trees down on both sides of Carranza Road blocking the tracks ?

Jim

 

[Trailhead00]

Looks like sabotage to me. Numerous people could be injured now. That really wouldn't slow down a dirt bike or an atv but someone else could easily fall into that space and sustain serious injuries. IF it was done to get back at off-road riders that is a sad way to do it.

 

[GermanG]

It does make for an interesting legal debate. Someone created a dangerous situation by sabotaging something that was most likely illegally built in the first place. Maybe I'm wrong, but I wouldn't think NJT would build anything to encourage ORVs or pedestrians to use the trestle. In any case, if it is what it looks like, it is sad that someone thought trying to kill someone was the way to deal with whatever beef they had. I consider myself an environmentalist but the eco-terrorists give environmentalists everywhere a black eye. And if someone did get killed or injured there, I would not be surprised if NJT tore the trestle down rather than rebuild that deck. They certainly are not maintaining title to the ROW for recreational use and when liability becomes an issue, large private and government entities tend to remove dangerous structures rather than make them safe. We would all lose then.

 

[dogg57]

Sorry for the night time hiker...........

 

[ecampbell]

Ed

From your 2006 thread, do you know, or anyone, who cut the trees down on both sides of Carranza Road blocking the tracks ?

Jim

No I don't but remember when it was done. That's ALOT of cutting. People used to hike the rails including myself, but in that area it is nolonger possible.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=1598

Getting back to the bridge, I believe that deck was legal, at least in the sense that the state knew it was being done and a state worker participated in it's construction in an official truck and uniform. That bridge is part of the state white bike trail which state workers marked, I know because I asked at Atsion. That trail is marked with white disc's nailed to trees. There are other trails marked in brown and blue. There is some inconsistency here if the state cut the trees at Carranza yet put up a trail along the tracks further in the forest.

 

[LARGO]

I recall that thread yes, and in the end the planking seemed a sound enough solution. People were going out on these things in varying levels of decay.
At the least the planking made them a little safer, if you could reason logic in that at all.
So O.K., it was there and yes someone with a battery powered saw obviously took the time to make a very nice job of it. Was that to make a convenience as Scott said, with a hidden insert somewhere nearby? Was it meant to be dangerous and sudden to folks that have grown accustomed and wouldn't now look for a gap? For someone walking it's still a ton safer than the Parkdale & Sleeper trestles. It's really only geared to one or two mediums.
Yeah, someone out there has issues.
Try giving it a nice repair job and see what becomes of it. If it's left alone, end of story, and no one gets hurt, and the state doesn't tear it down. Cool.
Or if the person reads this forum and just keeps it up, not much you can do.
Catch 22 in the legal dept. as noted by German.

g.

 

[bobpbx]

Suggest one of you retired or nonworking guys contact someone about that pronto, tonto.

 

[Kevinhooa]

Bridge

Wow, it's crazy to see that after I almost rode down the tracks the other night on my way home. I probably would have seen it, but I wouldn't have expected it. I never thought of the motorcycle guys building it, I figured it was the people who ride the horses. The planks weren't there in 2005 though. I know someone used to ride a 4 wheeler down there a lot a couple years ago, and it started to spread the ties apart in several places on some of the bridges. And then someone covered the road next to the tracks between Hampton and High Crossing with old cross ties. Tons of them too. I too, must have taken a lot of work to pull all of those old ties across the path to disrupt wheeled traffic. So whoever is frustrated has to be a hiker. They must be pretty pissed.

Kevin

 

[turtle]

Friends of mine were headed out that way today for a ride. I asked them to drag out a piece of plywood, hammer, and nails for a temporary fix. I hope they or someone else gets to it before someone innocent gets hurt.

 

[james ungehajer]

Suggest one of you retired or nonworking guys contact someone about that pronto, tonto.

Hi Yo Silver Kemo Sabe.

Jim

 

[maxwellandson]

here is Grendel standing in about the same spot the vandals hit.

I have been there and thought it was pretty neat that they had planked the tressle. I dont think it was slapped together at all. I looked at it pretty well the last time I was ther and it appeared that whoever decked it took there time and did a decent job.(decking was cut to the center of tigh's for instance)

 

[Teegate]

here is Grendel standing in about the same spot the vandals hit.

Forgot the photo

Guy

 

[maxwellandson]

"DUH" That would help probobly.


thank's Guy

QUOTE=TeeGate;61677]Forgot the photo

Guy[/QUOTE]