Cotton Valley Rail Trail Club, Inc.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Bureau of Trails Adopts New Trail Rules for Motorcars

The following rules apply to both; The Wolfeboro Branch and The Conway Branch Recreational Rail Trail.

On the Wolfeboro Branch, operation is permitted from the east side of the Rt. 109 surface crossing in the town of Wolfeboro to the west side of the Rt. 16 surface crossing in the town of Wakefield.  Parking and setting on is permitted at Fernald Station or where abutting landowners permit such activity.

On the Conway Branch, operation is permitted from a point under the Rt. 28 overpass to the west side of the Rt. 16 surface crossing, all within the town of Ossipee.  Parking and setting on is permitted at Center Ossipee or where abutting landowners permit such activity.
 

Only service type equipment such as putt-putts or speeders are allowed on the tracks.  NO hy-rail vehicles or engines are permitted.  NO ATV'S or Motorcycles are permitted in the corridors.

To operate on either rail trail, vehicles must be registered as an "Off Highway Recreational Vehicle" (OHRV).  This permit does not in any way permit use on other rails.  To operate on any other rails you must obtain permission from the owner/operator.

All vehicles will display a white light forward and a red light to the rear when on the track. (NH RSA 367:57)

Maximum speed is to be 10 miles per hour (16 KPH).

All vehicles must be able to stop within half the sight distance. 

All equipment must come to a complete stop before proceeding across a public or private crossing.  If traffic is heavy or view is not clear, a flag person will guard the crossing for the equipment.

No nighttime operations permitted.

EMERGENCY - Call 911

This portion of the web page will be used to link with internet accessible safety material.

SPACING
I have noticed many variations in spacing between moving motorcars.  Although it might be common sense to increase the spacing as the speed increases it is the actual distance that concerns me.  Motorcars are generally required to operate at what is termed RESTRICTED SPEED.  Restricted speed is "that speed which will allow the operator to stop within 1/2 of the distance of ANY OBSTRUCTION and not to exceed 15 MPH.  The obstruction could be a switch, tree, grade crossing, pedestrian, washout, rock, or another motorcar. 
The two situations that are of greatest concern are following too closely and (more commonly) following too far behind.  I have seen cars following too closely in areas with many grade crossings.  In an effort to save time, cars will be travel at a higher rate of speed between crossings to save a little time.  The times when I have seen the spacing extend beyond what is reasonable is when smooth track and extended running time allow operators to "drift" apart.  The extended distance can cause a problem when a front running motorcar stops on the track out of view from the following operator(s).  The following operator(s) will be traveling at a higher rate of speed based on the conditions previously encountered and may actually be traveling faster than acceptable in an effort to close the distance with the car in front.  I would like to offer the following recommendations.  Travel at a speed that will safely allow operators to keep the preceding and following motorcar in view.  If you loose sight of the preceding motorcar, slow down under the assumption it will be stopped just out of sight.  If you loose sight of a following motorcar, slow down in order to re-establish visual contact.  If you plan on stopping... Wait until you are on tangent track with enough sight distance to the following motorcar to stop within 1/2 the distance to your location while taking into account your previous operating speed.  Resist the urge to reverse direction unless you can establish radio or phone contact with the operator of the following motorcar.

TURNTABLES
Motorcars are heavy objects that require strong bodies and steady footing to move and turn.
In order to make this chore easier, many motorcar owners are equipping their speeder with a turntable.  Next to poor stopping distances, I have seen more close calls relating to the presence of turntables.  The bottom line is that turntables take up space between the bottom of your frame and the surface you travel over.  The problem gets dangerously worse when defects prevent the turntable from rising to it's uppermost position, or allow the turntable to drop from it's uppermost position. Poor design or mounting may cause the uppermost position to be too low in the first place.
Check your equipment for correct operation prior to each run.  Equipment that causes a safety hazard will will not be allowed to participate in motorcar activities.