I am writing to share one of the more unique outdoor activities you will come across. My son Mason is 20 years old and has been building, selling, and operating railroad handcars since he was 13. I produced a fun and inspiring video of Mason navigating his handcar across the Great Basin on the Nevada Northern Railway outside Ely, Nevada. We typically pump about 40 miles a day. The Nevada Northern Railway has 160 miles of trackage, with less than half that is passable due to the sage brush that has taken over the unused sections. We made arrangements with the railroad to allow for passage of our handcar.
Navigating the handcar across the Great Basin has its challenges. The grades on this line are not too great, but the wind can be difficult. During high wind events the car will actually blow uphill. Rattlesnakes are frequently seen in the afternoon and evening. During dusk and early evening it is not uncommon to find a half dozen rattlesnakes over a mile of trackage so one has to be careful. The snakes are attracted to the warmth of the rails once the sun goes down.
I shot most of the 2.5 minute video with an aerial drone and my 14 year old daughter wrote and composed the sound track that accompanies the video.
Video:
Todd Clark
Navigating the handcar across the Great Basin has its challenges. The grades on this line are not too great, but the wind can be difficult. During high wind events the car will actually blow uphill. Rattlesnakes are frequently seen in the afternoon and evening. During dusk and early evening it is not uncommon to find a half dozen rattlesnakes over a mile of trackage so one has to be careful. The snakes are attracted to the warmth of the rails once the sun goes down.
I shot most of the 2.5 minute video with an aerial drone and my 14 year old daughter wrote and composed the sound track that accompanies the video.
Video:
Todd Clark