Building with railroad rails

[bcp]

Every once in a while, someone will mention building a bridge or some other thing using railroad rail for strength. Rail is far more flexible than most people think, Many people are only familiar with short lengths, but long pieces are different.

Watch this video from about 6:15 to 7:50. It is a telephoto view that exaggerates the flexibility, but is still surprising.

Bruce

 

[Cub 7274]

Ribbon rail...

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a piece here that will probably never get used. I have seen them drop and break.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I once saw a pole building a guy built, using railroad rails...

SR

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Steel composition is a malleable mixture, designed to be flexible. For bending moment elimination they have to set on a structural base that is also somewhat flexible; as wheels go over it there is constant vertical movement as weight goes off and on. As they flex and crystallize, they have to be replaced before they fail. Cracked rails lead to derailments.

Vertical, like the pole barn is OK. Building will flex well in a wind storm.

Ron

 

[denchen]

I don`t know about bridges out of rail, but I made an anvil out of a bit about a foot long, and its handy for little jobs.

 

[RobS]

I toured a mill nearby that produces rail. They ship in 1,400 foot lengths!

 

[Ford850]

There's a big difference in the flexibility of the same rail, comparing it at 4:30 and at 6:30. At least it appears there is.

 

[stuckmotor]

I've read a couple of times that rails are never sold. If this is true, there are an awful lot of ameture blacksmiths pounding on stolen rails.

 

[RobS]

I've read a couple of times that rails are never sold. If this is true, there are an awful lot of ameture blacksmiths pounding on stolen rails.

The building I work in has overhead cranes and they run on the same rail. A few bits leftover were quickly swept up by the blacksmiths!