This is from Georger's quote:

If it could have happened then it must have happened, long before the simple proposition 'he survived and walked south'. Kaye picked up on this right away years ago - its one of the simplest explanations, maybe a 50-50 probability or stronger.

We have a rail line and roads directly connecting the traditional DZ area with just a few feet north of Tina Bar, and yet nobody wants to consider he survived and traveled that route south from the accepted drop zone. 

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Georger, your statement here is intriguing.  I have heard enough from skydiver experts on the forum over the years to believe that Cooper's jump was very survivable.   Paratroopers with 100 pounds of gear survived the jump near Normandy Beach, behind enemy lines, in bad weather, right before D-Day.  I have no problem believing Cooper survived the jump.  Let's say he did. 

Then I studied some of the railroad lines and road map and Google Earth map around the Ariel/Lake Merwin area.  It is uncanny just how close they are to each other -- down the Lewis River from Ariel to the Columbia River, turn south, and you're at Tina Bar -- not that far, maybe 20 miles.  I then looked at some of the railroad lines.  From what I could see, a rail line from Merwin east toward Cougar was abandoned, but the rail line from the Lake Merwin area down the Lewis River to Woodland is operational.  And there is a rail line that goes south from Woodland to Vancouver, and it just so happens to come within earshot of Tina Bar.  It would be interesting to see if that particular rail line did a run down the Lewis River to Woodland, from the Merwin Lake area, on 11/24/1971, and if a line also ran that night from Woodland to Vancouver, via Tina Bar.  I'm sure this was discussed on the DropZone forum, I need to look up those discussions...I'd be interested in checking out rail runs in the area on the night of 11/24/1971.  I have a brother who works for the railroad, he's been driving trains for years, and he lives in Vancouver.  I think I will run this one by him.  Anybody have any information or ideas to add?
Meyer
[/quote]

OK let me take this on - this will take some explaining. Part of the background for this is when the Ingram find surfaced in 1980 a significant segment of LE at Portland and Vancouver felt the only way Cooper money could be in their area is if Cooper survived as per the FBI jump point north near Ariel then made his way south (with the money) perhaps trying to get back to Portland and a car. A number of people pointed out there were railroad lines connecting Vancouver-Portland with Ariel - its actually a loop of rail lines that connect the whole Portland area (in a loop) clear up to Seattle and points north.

Here is an old rail map showing part of this loop. This map dates back to 1926 but parts of the old rail system were still being used in 1971. In addition there were also older abandoned rail lines throughout the Ariel area that went west to the Lewis Rvr and east before dropping down south toward Vancouver.  This rail line actually flanks River Road right behind the Fazio property. In 1971 you could have started at Ariel and traveled south on this line to Vancouver, then traveled west right behind the Fazio property, then traveled north clear back to Seattle! There is no evidence any law enforcement was monitoring people traveling on this line during the period of the hijacking. And of course there are two bridges across the Columbia connecting Portland with Vancouver. On the Vancouver side there were hobo encampments along this rail line leading right up to the Fazio property (with service calls dealing with these hobos on a regular basis. Dorwin and I have discussed this.. ).

In 1971 it offered a mode of transportation that was basically off the radar. It connects the areas in question. And there were many unused spur lines through out the whole FBI dropzone area that in 1971 still connected into the system. All you would have had to know was north from south to get into the system and go north of south, east or west...
 

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This is from Georger's quote:

If it could have happened then it must have happened, long before the simple proposition 'he survived and walked south'. Kaye picked up on this right away years ago - its one of the simplest explanations, maybe a 50-50 probability or stronger.

We have a rail line and roads directly connecting the traditional DZ area with just a few feet north of Tina Bar, and yet nobody wants to consider he survived and traveled that route south from the accepted drop zone. 

-------------------------------------------------------

Georger, your statement here is intriguing.  I have heard enough from skydiver experts on the forum over the years to believe that Cooper's jump was very survivable.   Paratroopers with 100 pounds of gear survived the jump near Normandy Beach, behind enemy lines, in bad weather, right before D-Day.  I have no problem believing Cooper survived the jump.  Let's say he did. 

Then I studied some of the railroad lines and road map and Google Earth map around the Ariel/Lake Merwin area.  It is uncanny just how close they are to each other -- down the Lewis River from Ariel to the Columbia River, turn south, and you're at Tina Bar -- not that far, maybe 20 miles.  I then looked at some of the railroad lines.  From what I could see, a rail line from Merwin east toward Cougar was abandoned, but the rail line from the Lake Merwin area down the Lewis River to Woodland is operational.  And there is a rail line that goes south from Woodland to Vancouver, and it just so happens to come within earshot of Tina Bar.  It would be interesting to see if that particular rail line did a run down the Lewis River to Woodland, from the Merwin Lake area, on 11/24/1971, and if a line also ran that night from Woodland to Vancouver, via Tina Bar.  I'm sure this was discussed on the DropZone forum, I need to look up those discussions...I'd be interested in checking out rail runs in the area on the night of 11/24/1971.  I have a brother who works for the railroad, he's been driving trains for years, and he lives in Vancouver.  I think I will run this one by him.  Anybody have any information or ideas to add?
Meyer

OK let me take this on - this will take some explaining. Part of the background for this is when the Ingram find surfaced in 1980 a significant segment of LE at Portland and Vancouver felt the only way Cooper money could be in their area is if Cooper survived as per the FBI jump point north near Ariel then made his way south (with the money) perhaps trying to get back to Portland and a car. A number of people pointed out there were railroad lines connecting Vancouver-Portland with Ariel - its actually a loop of rail lines that connect the whole Portland area (in a loop) clear up to Seattle and points north.

Here is an old rail map showing part of this loop. This map dates back to 1926 but parts of the old rail system were still being used in 1971. In addition there were also older abandoned rail lines throughout the Ariel area that went west to the Lewis Rvr and east before dropping down south toward Vancouver.  This rail line actually flanks River Road right behind the Fazio property. In 1971 you could have started at Ariel and traveled south on this line to Vancouver, then traveled west right behind the Fazio property, then traveled north clear back to Seattle! There is no evidence any law enforcement was monitoring people traveling on this line during the period of the hijacking. And of course there are two bridges across the Columbia connecting Portland with Vancouver. On the Vancouver side there were hobo encampments along this rail line leading right up to the Fazio property (with service calls dealing with these hobos on a regular basis. Dorwin and I have discussed this.. ).

In 1971 it offered a mode of transportation that was basically off the radar. It connects the areas in question. And there were many unused spur lines through out the whole FBI dropzone area that in 1971 still connected into the system. All you would have had to know was north from south to get into the system and go north of south, east or west...
[/quote]

here is a modern version of the map showing the basic rail line system is still active today - the rail line is dotted in red along its path. This is from a map I made back in 2008.

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This is from Georger's quote:

If it could have happened then it must have happened, long before the simple proposition 'he survived and walked south'. Kaye picked up on this right away years ago - its one of the simplest explanations, maybe a 50-50 probability or stronger.

We have a rail line and roads directly connecting the traditional DZ area with just a few feet north of Tina Bar, and yet nobody wants to consider he survived and traveled that route south from the accepted drop zone. 

-------------------------------------------------------

Georger, your statement here is intriguing.  I have heard enough from skydiver experts on the forum over the years to believe that Cooper's jump was very survivable.   Paratroopers with 100 pounds of gear survived the jump near Normandy Beach, behind enemy lines, in bad weather, right before D-Day.  I have no problem believing Cooper survived the jump.  Let's say he did. 

Then I studied some of the railroad lines and road map and Google Earth map around the Ariel/Lake Merwin area.  It is uncanny just how close they are to each other -- down the Lewis River from Ariel to the Columbia River, turn south, and you're at Tina Bar -- not that far, maybe 20 miles.  I then looked at some of the railroad lines.  From what I could see, a rail line from Merwin east toward Cougar was abandoned, but the rail line from the Lake Merwin area down the Lewis River to Woodland is operational.  And there is a rail line that goes south from Woodland to Vancouver, and it just so happens to come within earshot of Tina Bar.  It would be interesting to see if that particular rail line did a run down the Lewis River to Woodland, from the Merwin Lake area, on 11/24/1971, and if a line also ran that night from Woodland to Vancouver, via Tina Bar.  I'm sure this was discussed on the DropZone forum, I need to look up those discussions...I'd be interested in checking out rail runs in the area on the night of 11/24/1971.  I have a brother who works for the railroad, he's been driving trains for years, and he lives in Vancouver.  I think I will run this one by him.  Anybody have any information or ideas to add?
Meyer

I looked at this theory a few years ago but had issues with..

Why did he just drop the cash while walking?
Why would he walk to that location, TBAR?
but mainly, the money was found above the dredge layer.. deposited later or timing issue

So, extremely low probability, but using the rail tracks to escape his LZ is reasonable..
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If he was familiar with the area he might have known about these rail lines and spurs. They were completely off the radar with no good way to monitor them and no evidence anyone did. They offer east-west north-south mobility. His choice. The downside is the chance he runs into others is good especially the closer he gets to Vancouver. But if Cooper was savvy he would have known this...   

Maybe it's just me but I like to keep it simple and logical ! If Cooper survived, why would he go way out of his way and them bury part of his loot at Tina Bar. I think Cooper didn't need to board any train and certainly he couldnt have figured his landing accurate enough to know he would be very close to a very remote line down from Ariel. I seriously doubt there was train that time of day. Now the main line from Seattle to Portland is another story. I would be willing to wager a large sum of money that nobody here could have lunch or breakfast at The Little Crane Cafe without a train passing by. I realize it's 2017 but you get my point. A average man walks 3 miles per hour if healthy.
He had a huge head start and who know it's Ariel for sure. A lot of experts including FBI think Battleground area more.

Good points Kermit. I cant argue with that. Plus so many unknowns. Its just that rail lines offer a less conspicuous way out in any direction he wants to go. And they go directly behind where the money was found. If he survived he has to go somewhere by some route.

Rail Lines to T-Bar

I'd love to see some good maps of the rail lines, or better, go on a scouting mission to find the old right-of-way, lines, etc.

When I walked to Frenchman's Bar I only crossed one set of railroad tracks, and they were extensive. It was the line coming into the main facilities at the Port of Vancouver in West Vancouver. I never saw anything looking like an old railroad bed from there north and west.

I've also been to Fazio's a few times and driven around, trying to go down Lower River Road as far as it goes. I never saw any railroad lines anywhere near T-Bar.

Yes, maybe they once existed and may have still been extant in 1971, but I have doubts. So, it feels like a stretch that DBC walked to T-Bar from his LZ, either in Battleground or Ariel.

Plenty of rail maps of the area through Google. Im not arguing that he did, only that's its one possibility if he survived. We went over a lot of this at DZ, with maps. But it didn't get traction there and doesnt appear to be getting traxction here. Jo Weber seemed to know something about these lines - she correctly identified all of the old lines near Ariel, for some unknown reason. I checked old maps and she was correct, to my amazement. The main line behind the Faxzio's is on the east side of River road, if its still there today?.  See my previous maps posted here and at DZ.

Once again, I'm not getting this logic of Cooper walking all the way to Tina Bar and burying Money there. Why ? I'm just saying his original flight originated at Portland airport. If he survived, it's possible his escape vehicle is somewhere near PDX. Walking from Battleground to the railroad bridge is not all that difficult or far really. Why would he walk way further to Tina Bar ? Besides catching a train in Portland or Vancouver Industrial area may be easy because they're not moving that fast. However when they come by my town, they are moving really fast and there's no way of hopping aboard. I jumped aboard one train in my life when I was pheasant hunting. Big mistake as I had my shotgun with me and wanted to travel a few miles and jump down and hunt back to my pickup. Bad idea ! I had to throw my gun and it still show the scars as do I.

Once again, I'm not getting this logic of Cooper walking all the way to Tina Bar and burying Money there. Why ? I'm just saying his original flight originated at Portland airport. If he survived, it's possible his escape vehicle is somewhere near PDX. Walking from Battleground to the railroad bridge is not all that difficult or far really. Why would he walk way further to Tina Bar ? Besides catching a train in Portland or Vancouver Industrial area may be easy because they're not moving that fast. However when they come by my town, they are moving really fast and there's no way of hopping aboard. I jumped aboard one train in my life when I was pheasant hunting. Big mistake as I had my shotgun with me and wanted to travel a few miles and jump down and hunt back to my pickup. Bad idea ! I had to throw my gun and it still show the scars as do I.

I don't mean to insinuate that Cooper rode a train all the way to Tina Bar.  It's just that the railroad routes present one possibility for how he escaped undetected.  The railroad routes seem to have been available.  And I don't think he'd try to hop a fast moving train.  There are railroad spurs where trains slow down or even come to a stop.  There are switch yards, intersections -- trains can sit idle for long periods of time at times.  Cooper could have easily jumped into a freight car and just laid low for a while -- until the train got moving and eventually got to the Vancouver or Portland industrial area.

So, even if he did hop a train to Vancouver/Portland, that still does not explain how the bills got to Tina Bar.  Moreover, many of us are convinced the money was not planted at Tina Bar -- because of the money shards found below the money stack.  I think it was Tosaw who called the Tina Bar money the "baffling clue." 

The Cooper vortex strikes again....
Meyer

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Once again, I'm not getting this logic of Cooper walking all the way to Tina Bar and burying Money there. Why ? I'm just saying his original flight originated at Portland airport. If he survived, it's possible his escape vehicle is somewhere near PDX. Walking from Battleground to the railroad bridge is not all that difficult or far really. Why would he walk way further to Tina Bar ? Besides catching a train in Portland or Vancouver Industrial area may be easy because they're not moving that fast. However when they come by my town, they are moving really fast and there's no way of hopping aboard. I jumped aboard one train in my life when I was pheasant hunting. Big mistake as I had my shotgun with me and wanted to travel a few miles and jump down and hunt back to my pickup. Bad idea ! I had to throw my gun and it still show the scars as do I.

I don't mean to insinuate that Cooper rode a train all the way to Tina Bar.  It's just that the railroad routes present one possibility for how he escaped undetected.  The railroad routes seem to have been available.  And I don't think he'd try to hop a fast moving train.  There are railroad spurs where trains slow down or even come to a stop.  There are switch yards, intersections -- trains can sit idle for long periods of time at times.  Cooper could have easily jumped into a freight car and just laid low for a while -- until the train got moving and eventually got to the Vancouver or Portland industrial area.

So, even if he did hop a train to Vancouver/Portland, that still does not explain how the bills got to Tina Bar.  Moreover, many of us are convinced the money was not planted at Tina Bar -- because of the money shards found below the money stack.  I think it was Tosaw who called the Tina Bar money the "baffling clue." 

The Cooper vortex strikes again....
Meyer

Well for me this is CI 101:  The rail lines are the one line that connects the dots: FBI LZ to TBar area where money is found. So you have to consider it.

Sure he can take I5 or roads to Vancouver then walk west. But rail lines offer a far less conspicuous more direct route that connects two arenas of evidence.

I just have problems with any long range hydrological scenario. Like most of the people that worked the dig I dont think the money traveled too far to get to where it was found; and like those agents I think that for a whole list of reasons one of which is the condition of the money. R99's solution falls into that category. I even have problems with the dredging scenario. Cooper transporting the money within the hydrological range of Tina Bar is more appealing to me. The rail lines connect both areas as an elegant solution, like no other solution does?