As I understand it, through a claim one has a right to what is IN the ground but the surface has to be bought as any other surface property to control it.

Also one can not buy all the property around someone else's and deny him access.
Right to access is basic to all surface agreements. I have no experiance with land but being a former sports fisherman, at least it was so in Ontario, one can not buy all the land around a lake and deny fishing access. To deny fishing in such a lake one had to buy all the land under the lake or having bought the land first afterwards created the lake via a dam on it.

This applies more to the staked north-south rail line route. Those claims have little influence on the rail line path except that they may control access to and use of any gravel or other construction materials that may be needed.