I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially abandoned
siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for cash. How much does
a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing it? Is it worth it? (LOTS of
metal here!)

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
. com...
I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially
abandoned siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for cash.
How much does a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing it? Is it
worth it? (LOTS of metal here!)

IICR rail is weighed by the yard. For example 100lbs per yard would give
you the rail size. Siding rail would be smaller than main line rail.
Best way would be to chop off 36" and see what it weighs. There may also
be some indicator cast into the rail telling size.

Bernd

Tom Gardner wrote:
I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially abandoned
siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for cash. How much does
a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing it? Is it worth it? (LOTS of
metal here!)

Rail is sized by lbs/yard, and it ranges from maybe
40lbs for a light siding like yours to 140lbs for
a modern mainline.

Jim Stewart wrote:

Tom Gardner wrote:

I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially
abandoned siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for
cash. How much does a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing
it? Is it worth it? (LOTS of metal here!)


Rail is sized by lbs/yard, and it ranges from maybe
40lbs for a light siding like yours to 140lbs for
a modern mainline.

Wouldn't it be more fun to get a locomotive or to
lease it out to a railclub?

"Tom Gardner" wrote: clip) How much does a foot weigh? (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Go to an end, or a joint with a gap, and trace around it onto a piece of
cardboard. Then rule some squares on the tracing, to help you estimate the
area. Area x lengthx density equals weight.

Bernd wrote:

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
. com...

I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially
abandoned siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for cash.
How much does a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing it? Is it
worth it? (LOTS of metal here!)


IICR rail is weighed by the yard. For example 100lbs per yard would give
you the rail size. Siding rail would be smaller than main line rail.
Best way would be to chop off 36" and see what it weighs. There may also
be some indicator cast into the rail telling size.

Actually ROLLED into the web of the rail on one side. It will also have
the date rolled into it. Even more information if you know how to red
all the makes.

howard

You should check into donating the rail and possibly the ties if they are in
good enough condition to a railroad museum. You could write that off your taxes
and possibly the museum might even come remove it.
Where are you located??

tim

TSJABS wrote:
You should check into donating the rail and possibly the ties if
they are in good enough condition to a railroad museum. You could
write that off your taxes and possibly the museum might even come
remove it. Where are you located??

tim

Buy this and have more fun than you could ever imagine!
http://tinyurl.com/5l6zc

Ken..

--
http://www.rupert.net/~solar
Return address supplied by 'spammotel'
http://www.spammotel.com

Tom Gardner wrote:

I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially abandoned
siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for cash. How much does
a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing it? Is it worth it? (LOTS of
metal here!)


Tom -

Where do you live ? - e.g. are there any private trains near by ?
They might just come and get it for something. e.g. Mountain climbing trains,
wine route, logging type, just pretty route...

That stuff might be worth something that you can't get - e.g. they have it
for trade... Life trip ticket or that old junker furnace we bought last year -
...... Might be worth more in use than in scrap.

Scrap is better than on the ground, but I never minded it.

ONe issue you might run into - hasmat the ties ?! - that stuff is poison now.
In situ - in the ground with rail - grandfathers them. [ have them hauled
with the rails as a whole deal ]

Things to think about.

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 20:37:54 GMT, "Tom Gardner"
wrote:

I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially abandoned
siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for cash. How much does
a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing it? Is it worth it? (LOTS of
metal here!)

Post in all the local metalworking news magazines and on the internet
that you are selling railroad anvil material for $5 a foot, and they
have to remove it themselves.

It will be gone in about 2 weeks.

Is that 500 lineal feet? Or 2 250 foot lengths? A 1000 feet of
railroad track is a ****load of steel.

http://rail.importer.alibaba.com/ G

You may make more money selling it to a railroad collectors club.
Particularly with the switches, signals, ties and road equipment.

Gunner.
"To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem.
To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized,
merely the domesticated." - Trefor Thomas

In article ,
"Tom Gardner" wrote:

I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially abandoned
siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for cash. How much does
a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing it? Is it worth it? (LOTS of
metal here!)

I'd run this question by the folks over in alt.railroad.

Good Luck!

Erik

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
. com...
I have about 500' of track with 2 switches that are an officially
abandoned
siding on my property. The thought was to scrap it for cash. How much
does
a foot weigh? What's the best way of removing it? Is it worth it? (LOTS
of
metal here!)

You've received some great suggestions, but if it gets down to scrapping the
rail, the price is about as good as it gets right now. Steel is at, or near,
a record high, including scrap. Sell it off, so it will end up in China,
where they'll turn it into lathes and mills and sell them back to us. g

Harold

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 19:59:51 -0600, "Ken Davey"
wrote:
TSJABS wrote:

You should check into donating the rail and possibly the ties if
they are in good enough condition to a railroad museum. You could
write that off your taxes and possibly the museum might even come
remove it. Where are you located??

I'd have to go look to get you an address - hold on a minute.

www.ohiobrush.com Insert Jeopardy Theme Here

Ohio Brush Company, 2680 Lisbon Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44104

And judging from the Mapquest picture when you plug in the address,
he's right alongside a through rail line.

I would NOT rip the siding out or disconnect it from the mainline if
it's still serviceable - it would be prohibitive to put it back if you
suddenly had a need for it. As in shipping in or out lots of big
heavy stuff that's going to a customer who also has rail access.

A better option might be to see if someone in the region needs a
place to park a private railcar - you might be able to get some rent
income from the siding. Or call Conrail and make them the same offer,
siding space for lease, reasonable rates...

Buy this and have more fun than you could ever imagine!
http://tinyurl.com/5l6zc

Tom: That steam engine above is one handy option if you want to
start a REALLY expensive hobby, but at least the one advertised above
is ready-to-go. Just bring your checkbook.

Welded boilers only - do NOT buy a riveted lap-seam boiler or an
engine that doesn't meet current FRA rules, you can't take it out on
the main lines and they have annoying habits like going "Boom!!"
with or without warning. Which can ruin your day...

If you need motive power, it'll be a lot cheaper to buy an older
Diesel, like a yard switcher.

(Have a friend who's involved with Orange Empire Railroad Museum,
www.oerm.org they have one engine under steam regularly and they're
rebuilding a few more. Not a fast or cheap proposition by any
measure.)

-- Bruce --

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

In article , "Harold & Susan Vordos"
writes:

You've received some great suggestions, but if it gets down to scrapping the
rail, the price is about as good as it gets right now. Steel is at, or near,
a record high, including scrap. Sell it off, so it will end up in China,
where they'll turn it into lathes and mills and sell them back to us. g


Jay Leno mentioned tonight that the price of scrap has recently quadrupled.
Is this true or just hype?
Engineman1

"Engineman1" wrote in message
...
In article , "Harold & Susan Vordos"
writes:

You've received some great suggestions, but if it gets down to scrapping
the
rail, the price is about as good as it gets right now. Steel is at, or
near,
a record high, including scrap. Sell it off, so it will end up in
China,
where they'll turn it into lathes and mills and sell them back to us.
g


Jay Leno mentioned tonight that the price of scrap has recently
quadrupled.
Is this true or just hype?
Engineman1

While I can't say it has quadrupled, it sure as hell has gone up
considerably. I've not followed the scrap market closely, but the price of
any steel item has increased by double in the past six months, at least
where they stay current on prices. I know they're paying more for scrap,
but I don't know how much more as compared to six months ago. Currently
they're paying $85/ton average for steel. I can remember when scrap yards
wouldn't even accept light steel.

Here's a link if you're interested.

http://www.recycle.net/price/metals.html

Harold

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 02:08:33 -0800, "Harold & Susan Vordos"
wrote:


Don't know if anyone else has heard it, but my scrap dealer tells me
there's a fair amount of hassle in dealing with railroad iron. As in,
having documentation as to ownership, and he can't resell it except to
a recycling plant. No idea if this is state, federal or where the
rules come from, but it won't hurt to check.

Short chunks of it _do_ make nice things to pound on, though.

"Greybeard" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 02:08:33 -0800, "Harold & Susan Vordos"
wrote:


Don't know if anyone else has heard it, but my scrap dealer tells me
there's a fair amount of hassle in dealing with railroad iron. As in,
having documentation as to ownership, and he can't resell it except to
a recycling plant. No idea if this is state, federal or where the
rules come from, but it won't hurt to check.

Short chunks of it _do_ make nice things to pound on, though.


And a 5-in. section makes a great dolly for fast bodywork. I have one with a
thumb-hole that somebody torch-cut through the web. I polished it up good
with my 16-Amp Milwaukee grinder. When I use it with my basic body hammer --
a 2-lb. maul -- I can knock a fender into shape quick as a wink. If you
stand back about twenty feet, on a cloudy day, it looks damned good.

This is not a joke, BTW.

Ed Huntress

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

Short chunks of it _do_ make nice things to pound on, though.


And a 5-in. section makes a great dolly for fast bodywork. I have one with
a
thumb-hole that somebody torch-cut through the web. I polished it up good
with my 16-Amp Milwaukee grinder. When I use it with my basic body
hammer --
a 2-lb. maul -- I can knock a fender into shape quick as a wink. If you
stand back about twenty feet, on a cloudy day, it looks damned good.

This is not a joke, BTW.

Ed Huntress



I have a friend that made a bumper for his pickup truck out of a section of
rail. He had it extended about a foot from the body with aluminum tread
plate on top. He rolled the sides of the tread plate over and made cutouts
to match the profile of the rail so you could see the ends of the rail.

Since his truck had been raised about a foot, he had a bumper sticker made
up that said: "If you can't stop, smile as you go under".

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 17:06:30 -0500, Howard R Garner
wrote:


Actually ROLLED into the web of the rail on one side. It will also have
the date rolled into it. Even more information if you know how to red
all the makes.

howard

The number that is rolled onto the web of the rail is the weight per
*yard.*

Orrin

Weight, manufacturer, type of rail, etcetera.

We still have some Carnegie Steel Corporation rail, circa 1890s, here in
Monterey Bay.

(Carnegie and Mellon were later merged to form U.S. Steel Corporation).

I've seen some Geneva (a WWII-era plant near SLC) rail around here.

Since 1936, rail has generally been Controlled Cooled, and CC is usually seen
as a type marking.

Pre-1936/non-controlled cooled rail is highly favored by Gillette Company, for
use in razor blades.

"Peter H." wrote in message
...

snip----

I've seen some Geneva (a WWII-era plant near SLC) rail around here.

I'm originally from the Salt Lake Valley, and was given several hundred
pounds of coke by Geneva when I inquired of the possibility of buying some
for use in a small cupola I was building in the early 90's.

The steel plant was built in Utah to avoid the possibility of being bombed
during the war. At last report, it has since gone out of business,
although I don't know that for sure. Interesting to hear they had rolled
rail!

Harold

On 15 Dec 2004 06:45:47 GMT, inch (Peter H.) wrote:


Weight, manufacturer, type of rail, etcetera.

We still have some Carnegie Steel Corporation rail, circa 1890s, here in
Monterey Bay.

(Carnegie and Mellon were later merged to form U.S. Steel Corporation).

I've seen some Geneva (a WWII-era plant near SLC) rail around here.

Since 1936, rail has generally been Controlled Cooled, and CC is usually seen
as a type marking.

Pre-1936/non-controlled cooled rail is highly favored by Gillette Company, for
use in razor blades.


Back in the mid- 1960's, I crewed on a CN work train here in southern
Ontario that ripped out about 25 miles of VERY old track from an
abandoned short branch line between Simcoe and Port Rowan. We were
told it all went to Gillette in the US. Well work hardened material
for them I guess.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.

On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 00:07:53 -0500, Brian Lawson
wrote:

On 15 Dec 2004 06:45:47 GMT, inch (Peter H.) wrote:


Weight, manufacturer, type of rail, etcetera.

We still have some Carnegie Steel Corporation rail, circa 1890s, here in
Monterey Bay.

(Carnegie and Mellon were later merged to form U.S. Steel Corporation).

I've seen some Geneva (a WWII-era plant near SLC) rail around here.

Since 1936, rail has generally been Controlled Cooled, and CC is usually seen
as a type marking.

Pre-1936/non-controlled cooled rail is highly favored by Gillette Company, for
use in razor blades.


Back in the mid- 1960's, I crewed on a CN work train here in southern
Ontario that ripped out about 25 miles of VERY old track from an
abandoned short branch line between Simcoe and Port Rowan. We were
told it all went to Gillette in the US. Well work hardened material
for them I guess.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
That went to replace the diminished supply they got in1958-9 from the
Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway. The I,B and Slow was so slow
that it never got beyond Bird's Creek (the Bancroft terminus). This
line had been built with rail imported from England (so I was told)
and had grades steeper than anywhere else in Canada. I can still
recall the caned seats in the day coaches around 1944. In those days,
It was a race between my parents, Dad and I would be dropped at
Toronto Union station, then Mother would drive back to her parent's
home, load up the Model "A" coupe, then she and my brother would drive
the 150 miles to meet us at my other grandparent's home in
Wilberforce, near where the three of us spent the summer while Dad
went back to work at Acme Screw & Gear in Toronto. Many good memories
from this period in my life!
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

"Brian Lawson" wrote:
(Peter H.) wrote:


Weight, manufacturer, type of rail, etcetera.

We still have some Carnegie Steel Corporation rail, circa 1890s, here in
Monterey Bay.

(Carnegie and Mellon were later merged to form U.S. Steel Corporation).

I've seen some Geneva (a WWII-era plant near SLC) rail around here.

Since 1936, rail has generally been Controlled Cooled, and CC is usually
seen
as a type marking.

Pre-1936/non-controlled cooled rail is highly favored by Gillette
Company, for
use in razor blades.


Back in the mid- 1960's, I crewed on a CN work train here in southern
Ontario that ripped out about 25 miles of VERY old track from an
abandoned short branch line between Simcoe and Port Rowan. We were
told it all went to Gillette in the US. Well work hardened material
for them I guess.

Silly question: how do they make the blades from the track? I'm assuming
it's not melted and then reforged?

Jon

On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:26:43 -0800, "Jon Danniken"
wrote:

BIG SNIP

Pre-1936/non-controlled cooled rail is highly favored by Gillette
Company, for
use in razor blades.


Back in the mid- 1960's, I crewed on a CN work train here in southern
Ontario that ripped out about 25 miles of VERY old track from an
abandoned short branch line between Simcoe and Port Rowan. We were
told it all went to Gillette in the US. Well work hardened material
for them I guess.

Silly question: how do they make the blades from the track? I'm assuming
it's not melted and then reforged?

Jon
Hey Jon,

Not a clue, but we assumed it was for blades.

Brian.