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.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just a bicycle with an attachment on the front,害羞草研究所� Ramsden said. 害羞草研究所淚 was interested in building this because the railroad bed is maximum a one-per-cent grade, so that害羞草研究所檚 pretty flat. I thought this would be a kind of cool way to look around and see what害羞草研究所檚 around here that you can害羞草研究所檛 see from the road.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淚t does glide very well,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭he one down side害羞草研究所� there害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 pretty tough stuff.害羞草研究所�

Ramsden said he gets a lot of his creative ideas from the Oceanside MakerSpace group. The group holds an open house on Wednesday害羞草研究所檚 from 6- 9 p.m. downstairs in the McMillian Art Centre.

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害羞草研究所淚 joined because there is a lot of creative people there,害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淭hat railroad is just sitting there, it has such a huge potential,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎ll our politicians don害羞草研究所檛 seem to be able to reach an agreement with what to do with that. I害羞草研究所檝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.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚f you look up rail parks online you害羞草研究所檒l see there are lots of areas where there are abandoned rail lines where they害羞草研究所檙e being used for tourism.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 sure (getting permission) would take forever. (The ICF) had seven years to do something with it. Why can害羞草研究所檛 we use it and get some use out of it? Ramsden said. 害羞草研究所淚 think we need people on the respective governments with some vision that can see the bigger picture.害羞草研究所�

Ramsden believes it will be 害羞草研究所渁 matter of liability害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淭here could be maintenance vehicles moving up and down the rail. I would suggest that (a railbike) is not safe and it害羞草研究所檚 certainly not an approved use,害羞草研究所� Kent said. He said that people who want to access the rail should go through the ICF.

害羞草研究所淭hey would be referred to the rail operators who are responsible ultimetey for safety and liability on the rail,害羞草研究所� Kent said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not that somebody couldn害羞草研究所檛 get permission to use the rail but there害羞草研究所檚 a process for that.害羞草研究所�

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