I kinda want a Toyota 4Runner that can drive on train tracks

Come on, you know it would be cool to just drive around in one. 

“Oh, you can hard park at the mall? Well, I can drive on train tracks.“

I used to sell rubber parts, hoses and gaskets to the railroads and Electromotive.  I used to joke that I should have one of those trucks with the drop down track wheels like this when making calls.

It would be cool except the RR guys take safety seriously and they wouldn't see any humor in it.

How about a Pontiac instead?

How about a 70 series? I saw this in Panama servicing the canal railroad.

The kit adds quite a bit of weight, what if the frame rots out as in earlier models?

Recon1342 said:

How about a Pontiac instead?

Totally yes. 

Datsun240ZGuy said:

... the RR guys take safety seriously and they wouldn't see any humor in it.

To the extent that it is a Federal offence IIRC.

But DSW — if you're hardcore about wanting to try it, there is an org out there for you! I can't find it right now, but it's members with road vehicles that have this capability who track down (ha) decommissioned rail segments for their hobby.

Thanks and I’m not saying that I want to drive on some train tracks. Just to be clear, I just want the flex. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Come out to Nevada and go for a spin!!! Nevada Northern operates it on a regular basis.

Recon1342 said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Come out to Nevada and go for a spin!!! Nevada Northern operates it on a regular basis.

Not only do they operate it, but for a fee, visitors can operate it. 

Is now the time for a pun about "Handles like it's on rails"?

Personally, my favorite is the Jeep FC-150 trucks that the New York, New Haven & Hartford had.

Patrick B. McGinnis' personal Cadillac hi-rail that he had while at the New Haven was also pretty great. McGinnis was a terrible leader at the New Haven, but the man had big style.

In reply to NickD :

“Come on, boys, my treat for sandwiches.”

NickD said:

Recon1342 said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Come out to Nevada and go for a spin!!! Nevada Northern operates it on a regular basis.

Not only do they operate it, but for a fee, visitors can operate it. 

Is now the time for a pun about "Handles like it's on rails"?

It does though...

David S. Wallens said:

Thanks and I’m not saying that I want to drive on some train tracks. Just to be clear, I just want the flex. 

Put down some rails in front of GRM HQ and you can drive on those!

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

Somewhere I have a photo of a line of cones out in front of our office for some road work. I was like, Hey, a slalom.

There was a website showing where defunct tracks are and they had little two person pedal carts for rent or buy or plans...

An amusing before and after of a Delaware & Hudson hi-rail '72 Plymouth. The story was that the D&H had had some cars derail on Richmondville Hill and Joe Cassick was the superintendent sent out to check on efforts to retail the cars. So he got the car on the tracks at the nearest grade crossing and drove up to the derailment and parks the car. He's helping rerail cars and chocking the wheels, and a freight pulls up on the same tracks at the bottom of the hill and stops and ties down while it waits for the tracks to be cleared. All of a sudden the rerailed cars, which have no air in the brakes and aren't coupled to the rest of the train, kicked the chocks and started rolling down the hill. They collected his hi-rail and then took it down the hill and squished it against the power parked at the bottom of the hill. According to some of the D&H vets who knew him, they wished Cassick had been in the car when it happened.

How about bicycles rigged with an outrigger to ride on rails? I watched a movie back in the 80s or 90s about a kid in Australia who had such a thing connected to his 10 speed bike. I always wanted to hook up two 10 speed bikes together with quick disconnects, one on each rail so that my buddy and I could ride the local small railroad and run our dogs down the track's ditches and hunt pheasants which were thick on the railroad right-of-way. 

Screw all that pedaling.