I missed the staff meeting but the minutes show "Dave"
wrote back on 1 Feb 2005 09:36:07 -0800 in
rec.crafts.metalworking :
I occasionally happen across bits of railroad track and mounting
plates. Is any of this stuff machinable?

It is steel is it not?

Yes, it is machinable.

But there are "issues" with working with railroad rails, mostly having
to do with work hardening of the bearing face, the place where the wheels
roll on the rails. The home machinist means of fixing this is to put the
piece of rail in your fireplace, build a nice fire, and let the metal
anneal over night. Remove, clean up and mill as per normal.

--
pyotr filipivich.
as an explaination for the decline in the US's tech edge, James
Niccol wrote "It used to be that the USA was pretty good at
producing stuff teenaged boys could lose a finger or two playing with."