The Rails to Trails effort can provide new interpretive opportunities of our rail history. Here in San Jose, I have been working with two separate efforts on different sections of the Western Pacific Railroad line in our community.

This link is a nice overview of nine linear parks that have transformed their communities.
https://www.curbed.com/2017/6/22/158470 ... inear-park

Getting involved with similar efforts can lead to positive community relationships/exposure for our museums.

Ken

sorry Ken, But I stopped reading after those 5 blasphemous words...….

We just leased a line, and within days are already fending off a group wanting to make it a trail...

I am a proponent of rail trails, when they are used as intended. However these more frequent attacks on active lines are getting out of hand...

For those that can have an open mind, and not draw a line in the sand so quickly, some pretty creative things can happen that benefit both sides. I know of one group that "sold" a long term lease of an easment along their tracks to the state for use as a bikepath. The trains still run, the bikers still ride, and it brought in a BIG chunk of change for the railroad. Not everything has to be so black and white.

That can be true, and it is possible for both to co-exist. However, most of the time the trails people want it all for themselves and will fight to the death to tear up the rails.

At the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City, we share a bit of our right of way over Railroad Pass with a trail, (https://rivermountainstrail.org/) including two grade crossings. We are in planning to bring a spur of that trail onto our right of way with a third crossing, and onto our museum site, in part to serve as a public trail through the half mile long museum.

In our case it is specifically a "Rails and Trails" project.

The trail community has been supportive, and with their support and in one case through them we have received two planning grants totaling $118,000.

Beyond the River Mountain Loop Trail, and our Boulder City Railroad Trail, the trail connects with one completed trail (the UP Railroad Trail) along a City owned industrial lead, and a "to be built (fully funded) Harry Reid trail along a UP industrial spur... it totals about 52 miles of paved bike trail.

The experience has been universally positive.

Randy