RR mess along the Monocacy

[Nymph-wristed]

Anyone have connections to Monocacy TU or other environmental groups in Bethlehem area? Just a taste below of what the RR company is leaving behind as they improve the tracks in the TT section. The one pic near the signal box was diesel fuel or fuel additive of some kind. The plastic burlap bags are everywhere, too many for this guy to pick up alone last week. This is Class A, no? There should be more oversight of the protected waterway here, I assume. Near the area where the bridge is out at the orchard is bad too.

 

[wildtrout2]

Has that litter been there for a long while? Perhaps they have plans of coming back to pick that stuff up? It does look pretty disgusting.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I was there about 6 days ago. I was hoping the same thing and giving them the benefit of the doubt. I posted partly to see if anyone else saw the mess more recently. There was a crew cleaning up some of the discarded spikes and some (not all, which is odd because the price of metal alone should warrant getting all of it?) of the discarded plates too. They left the other debris behind on this round of clean up. Was hoping to get back this week.

 

[Bamboozle]

You might try reaching out to Norfolk Southern (NS) and giving them the mile post or other relative location information. That branch is known as the "Cement Secondary."

Also keep in mind anyone other than NS or their contractors going there to clean up or walking on the tracks IS trespassing on railroad property and NS is one of the more aggressive railroads in prosecuting trespassers.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

You might try reaching out to Norfolk Southern (NS) and giving them the mile post or other relative location information. That branch is known as the "Cement Secondary."

Also keep in mind anyone other than NS or their contractors going there to clean up or walking on the tracks IS trespassing on railroad property and NS is one of the more aggressive railroads in prosecuting trespassers so keep that in mind as well.

Thanks! That is what I was looking for in case it is still not cleaned up this week. Not looking to organize a clean up, just seeing if they did (or do their duty to a Class A watershed as they work). The neighborhood folks who've used the rails for decades for a morning constitutional for themselves and fido may scoff at prosecution as a deterrent to a cleanup!

 

[Nympho]

I saw the same blue bags along the tracks last saturday just above the Illicks Dam.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

I saw the same blue bags along the tracks last saturday just above the Illicks Dam.

Thanks. I was there last Tuesday, 10/11.

 

[Bamboozle]

I wouldn't push my luck with NS regardless of how noble a cause is.

Railroads have their own police departments and they don't take kindly to vandalism which is probably what they would consider any impromptu clean up efforts by outsiders.

And don't forget, it is THEIR property and not the public's regardless if it runs alongside a Class A stream. As long as their work isn't impacting the waterway they can do as they please.

If their work HAS impacted the waterway, you should contact the PFBC.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Do you know the creek at all or just extrapolating some RR knowledge? I am sure it would be a PR nightmare to "arrest" some folks for cleaning up litter in their backyards....

 

[Bamboozle]

I know the creek extremely well as well as the branch line. I also know NS.

Tick them off and you won't be walking along the tracks to move along the creek for long and there will be nothing you can do about it.

Like it or not, walking along or on those tracks IS trespassing and NS would be within their rights to make an arrest for such with their own LEO's. Whether they would bother is up to them but it IS their property. It doesn't belong to the public or the folks whose property overlooks the line.

I'm sure none of those outraged property owners would appreciate a stranger taking upon themselves to come on their back lawn to pick up something the interloper considered an eyesore...

If you want to approach the situation intelligently, contact NS and express your concern. I have posted a portion of the Cement Secondary track map from the junction with the Lehigh Line to Center Street which more than likely covers the area where you saw the "litter." It has the sections defined as well as listing all of the crossings. That should help you adequately describe to NS where you saw what.

If you call you may find out the debris is scheduled to be picked up at a later date as is done with discarded ties & tie plates. That may not be soon enough for the folks who want to clean up litter on someone else property but it's how railroads do things.

If you want to stir the pot, do what you want.

And again, IF the creek has been impacted because of this (which I doubt), contact the PFBC.

 

[joebamboo]

Highly unlikely that those bags won't be collected. Otherwise why would they waste the time to bag the trash in the first place?

 

[dudemanspecial]

I am sure it would be a PR nightmare to "arrest" some folks for cleaning up litter in their backyards....

Please take Bamboozle's advice and find another tree to bark up. I will not go into detail here, but please trust me to just stay away from the railroad police. There is no concern for PR by them, nobody gives a damn. If they currently turn a blind eye to people walking the tracks there, which I doubt they do, they will not anymore if they have reason not to. Just leave them alone if you like things status quo. It is more than likely they will send someone to clean up. I grew up beside tracks and we got into a lot of trouble over something most people would think nothing of. They patroled the tracks daily for years over it too and if we got caught stepping on their property again we would have been charged with felonies.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Please take Bamboozle's advice and find another tree to bark up. I will not go into detail here, but please trust me to just stay away from the railroad police. There is no concern for PR by them, nobody gives a damn. If they currently turn a blind eye to people walking the tracks there, which I doubt they do, they will not anymore if they have reason not to. Just leave them alone if you like things status quo. It is more than likely they will send someone to clean up. I grew up beside tracks and we got into a lot of trouble over something most people would think nothing of. They patroled the tracks daily for years over it too and if we got caught stepping on their property again we would have been charged with felonies.

Thanks for the further info (Bamboozle too!) If you read my original post, I was asking if anyone local had info about the work or a contact. Not once did I suggest I was taking action, even noted I was giving them the benefit of the doubt. Believe me, I know how these things work,, and am hardly an interloper having fished this area for a long time. Honestly, the most helpful thing, and what I was also looking for, was a boots on the ground update, which Nympho provided.... Your story makes it clear why folks is triggered by this