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.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 just a bicycle with an attachment on the front,香蕉视频直播� Ramsden said. 香蕉视频直播淚 was interested in building this because the railroad bed is maximum a one-per-cent grade, so that香蕉视频直播檚 pretty flat. I thought this would be a kind of cool way to look around and see what香蕉视频直播檚 around here that you can香蕉视频直播檛 see from the road.香蕉视频直播�

He said riding the bike along the railroad is surprisingly easy.

香蕉视频直播淚t does glide very well,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭he one down side香蕉视频直播� there香蕉视频直播檚 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 it香蕉视频直播檚 pretty tough stuff.香蕉视频直播�

Ramsden said he gets a lot of his creative ideas from the Oceanside MakerSpace group. The group holds an open house on Wednesday香蕉视频直播檚 from 6- 9 p.m. downstairs in the McMillian Art Centre.

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香蕉视频直播淚 joined because there is a lot of creative people there,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淭hat railroad is just sitting there, it has such a huge potential,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淎ll our politicians don香蕉视频直播檛 seem to be able to reach an agreement with what to do with that. I香蕉视频直播檝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.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚f you look up rail parks online you香蕉视频直播檒l see there are lots of areas where there are abandoned rail lines where they香蕉视频直播檙e being used for tourism.香蕉视频直播�

Ramsden has not yet received permission from the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) to ride along the tracks.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 sure (getting permission) would take forever. (The ICF) had seven years to do something with it. Why can香蕉视频直播檛 we use it and get some use out of it? Ramsden said. 香蕉视频直播淚 think we need people on the respective governments with some vision that can see the bigger picture.香蕉视频直播�

Ramsden believes it will be 香蕉视频直播渁 matter of liability香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淭here could be maintenance vehicles moving up and down the rail. I would suggest that (a railbike) is not safe and it香蕉视频直播檚 certainly not an approved use,香蕉视频直播� Kent said. He said that people who want to access the rail should go through the ICF.

香蕉视频直播淭hey would be referred to the rail operators who are responsible ultimetey for safety and liability on the rail,香蕉视频直播� Kent said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not that somebody couldn香蕉视频直播檛 get permission to use the rail but there香蕉视频直播檚 a process for that.香蕉视频直播�

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