Old train rails

[Baseballer1100]

I need to remove some old train rails form a company im doing landscaping for. Can you get any money from old train rails at a scarpyard has anyone had any experience with this?

[Mowingman]

Sure you can. Lots of weight in railroad iron. You will need a skidsteer or bigger loader or crane to move them with ,if they are very long sections.

[Ric]

Baseballer

You might even try selling them in the Newspaper ad or take them to a welder-fabricator. They are in demand for making certain items. One very good use for them is to make small anvils.

[DRM Ventures]

I have an 8" section I use as an anvil....

[blkberry]

You will need a cutting torch or a plasma cutter. Plus tractor with a back hoe.

[Baseballer1100]

How much will a backhoe set you back to rent and a plasma cutter? ANd how should i go about getting some money for these? Do i have to contact anyone before i remove them?

[Ric]

BaseBaller

An afternoon on the phone might be profitable. Don't forget the Cross-ties if they are in good shape. Cross ties are used in landscape more than the Iron. I am sure you could sell the Iron for more than scrap value if you find the right buyer.

One advantage Some of us might have is our own Skid Steers or tractors that could handle the weight of the Iron Rails. If this is your case, then to store then until you could find a buyer might be a way to go.

[Baseballer1100]

What people should i call?

[Ric]

What people should i call?


BaseBall

Try Welders and metal fabricators. Another use for RR Iron is weight on the back bumper of a truck for winter snow and ice driving. The very weight and strength of RR iron makes it an excellent building material for those special applications.

[Lawn Masters]

Use it to make better bumpers for your mowers, ones that CANT be bent. cutting it shouldnt be too hard, just use a BIG cutoff saw, or the plasma cutter as someone else said. If I had to use a cutoff saw, I'd get a TS 760, or the Husqvarna 3120K model, either one is powerful, so it shouldnt have any problem if you're using a good diamond wheel to cut with.

[Baseballer1100]

I will do that. AS long as its ok with the owner of the property you can take the railroad out right?

[chuckers]

i would contact burlington northern or santa fe they are owned by government. rails are their property. i have a cousin that works for burlington northern i will ask him tomorrow and get back to you

[vipermanz]

1 foot of common rail weighs 153.34lbs

[Baseballer1100]

This is going to be a lot harder then i thought.

[Itsgottobegreen]

A good size mini track hoe with power thumb would be the best choice for picking up the rails. A victor torch with a 3" or 4" cutting tip would be a good choice. You needed a really big plasma cutter to cut rail. Or even better get a hot stick. (its designed to cut through rails, its a metal rod and and oxygen tank when light burns a really high temp)

[Baseballer1100]

so i need to cut the track.. Or can i just lift it up and put it on a trailer?

[Itsgottobegreen]

Well how long are the rails? Are they just laying there or actually still attached to the ties? A picture would be really helpful. Depending on the type of track. If it was an old siding, the track pieces are 10 to 30 feet long. And bolted together. So get a couple of big wrenches and some cheater bars. Or the torch to cut the bolts off. If it was a newer siding or mainline its one piece that was welded together. Then its the torch.

If the rails are still attached to the ties, you need equipment to pry them from the ties. Rail road spikes are hard to remove.

I hope they are just laying there. They still are heavy. Also I hope you have a heavy duty trailer. Or you are going to make a bunch of trips.

Thank God I have model trains or I wouldn't know this.

[bmwe0692]

Would first see who owns the tracks and ground!! Some companys just lease the tracks but own the ground!! The weight of the rail depends on the size of it. There should be a stamping on the side of the rail every three feet.
This should show the size,company,date made and what ingot it came from.
The new rails we are putting in concrete switches is 141# IE: it weighs 141# every three feet. Thus 100#, 100.35#, 112#, 115#, 136#, all weigh their respective stampings every three feet. The smaller rails will be hard to see the markings, if it is in a yard track with dirt and weeds around it. Depending on the lenght of the track footage, It woud be a good idea that you check with a good metal recycling center. To see if they can handle that much trackage. The other members that suggested using some for anvils was a good idea. make some and see if it is profitable for you. If the ties are in good shape,firm and solid check with an
elevator and see if they would buy them. Keep the spikes, plates, bolts,angle bars and anchors if there are any, as this is all good grade scrap metal.
If you find some markings that show up clearly, cut that section out and put it on e-bay. Never know who will buy it.
Hope this helps in your quest!
T.J. terry employed by chicago and north western r.r. 23 yrs. union pacific 9 yrs.

[Baseballer1100]

Alright thanks i just want to make the property look better and see if i can get some money out of the scraps.

[Baseballer1100]

Better yet ill get some pictures and post them and maybe you all can help me go into the right direction

[chuckers]

ok the owner of the property owns the rail from the junction. so it is his responsiblity for the rails he can call bnsf and they will come out and remove the rail but it will cost. the steal yards wont take railroad steel due to the high tensil high carbon in them

[Baseballer1100]

o man so no money for me?

[vipermanz]

o man so no money for me?
not necessarily, i see you joined and asked @ weldingweb, i appreciate you joining!!, scrap yards will take them as steel today can be refined today creating over 12000 different alloys, if time isn't a factor for you, get the rails home and cut them into 1-2' sections and put an ad in the paper or even ebay them, i would love to get a piece myself. your best bet for cutting in an abrasive demolition saw, a plasma cutter can't make a clean cut on something that thick and an oxy/acetylene torch takes alot of time to master. rail is about $95 per ton in scrap markets this week. I'm a metal man so i can help you more on tech issues if needed

joey

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3MKT/is_204_109/ai_79524999

[vipermanz]

Better yet ill get some pictures and post them and maybe you all can help me go into the right direction
please do!!

[kris]

I heard of another use that sounded good but I have never tried ... use them in Storage bins .... topsoil, rock, sand etc etc... lay a few rails in so that you aren't digging into the ground when loading product.

[BSDeality]

i like the storage bin idea. check with your suppliers and sell them the idea.

as others said won't find a plasma cutter capable of cutting rails for rental or cheap enough to buy as an investment. Get a cut off saw or maybe a oxy/acetyl torch.

[vipermanz]

lol, we could get him some real fun going with this http://oxylance.com/pages.php?page=products&cat=oxtorch
my dad sometimes has to use those at work for removing breakouts (steel mill term at the caster when the steel backs up in the mold and floods back out everwhere!!) but 1 oxylance uses about 345cf of oxygen though!!

[Itsgottobegreen]

Viper man Thats what I was thinking of. They called it a hot stick in the fire department. Thats the best thing for cutting thick metal.

[Baseballer1100]

Where can you find one?

[Pro-Scapes]

how about them pics? There is an old rail road worker near me that has some for borders on his beds.... alot of charecter in em. Wish I could get a hold of about 100 ft of em.