Someone converted a stock OneWheel board to run on abandoned rail lines, and the engineering is specific enough to replicate. The frame was sectioned, CNC-cut mounts were added to raise the motor above the deck, and steel rail wheels sourced from eBay were fitted to an axle threaded through the original wheel hub. The motor housing was turned down on a lathe for clearance, then a bike sprocket and chain drive the train axle.
The US has vast stretches of abandoned urban rail going nowhere. This build puts that infrastructure to use with off-the-shelf components and a modest machine shop. No hydraulic press or CNC is strictly required, the design is straightforward enough to approximate with basic fabrication.
The full video walkthrough is worth watching for the machining details, particularly how the axle interfaces with the original hub and how chain tension is managed on a platform this compact. If this build interests you, Bradley Gawthrop's Supercon 2022 talk on the Personal Electric Vehicle Revolution lays out the broader context for where rail-riding PEVs fit. Verify the line is truly abandoned or obtain a rail warrant before riding.
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