On 2014-08-20, dpb wrote:
On 08/19/2014 9:03 PM, Ignoramus26736 wrote:
...

My expectation is that the ties are very rotten due to decades of
neglect and being under the soil, so that the spikes no longer hold in
the ties. I hope that as I pull the rails up, they will separate from
the ties and come out of the ground, at which point I can torch cut
them.

My question is, will 30 tons be enough force to pull rails up like
that? Assuming that the ties are rotten? Just pull up enough to torch
cut them? Or will the ground kind of hold them in? Any experience?
...

My guess would be that unless the "decades" are approach 10 or more the
likelihood that the spikes will come free in large numbers is very low.

I do not know that but a couple of people told me so, based on their
experience. Most of the ties are covered with soil and vegetation.

What's your lifter working against-- the ground surface or against the
tie plate you think? That is, are you thinking of trying to pull the
rail from the tie/plate or lift the whole section?

Against the ground, 2 feet away from the rail on both sides.

i