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!

 

[shovelmike]

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.

My grandfather worked for the railroad, I inherited his rail anvil.

 

[Deere Dude]

I thought Sherman's Neckties during the civil war was interesting/ Not very stiff.

 

[MossRoad]

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

Was that the place off of 30 over towards FW? Looks very interesting.

 

[MossRoad]

I had an uncle that would take a piece of railroad rail and use it as the body of a weiner dog. Then he'd weld an upside down hook on one end for the head. Then 4 upside down railroad spikes for the legs. The heads of the spikes were the feet on the legs. Then he'd weld another spike to the other end for the tail, this time with the head of the spike down on the body. They were really cute and he sold them as doorstops. I never did figure out his supply for rail, spikes, hooks, etc... but seemed he had a bunch of them. This was back in the 60s and 70s. Wish I had one. If I ever get a chunk of rail, I'll make one just for sentimentality.

 

[ruffdog]

This is how they transport 50 of these long pieces of rail. Just think how much pressure it takes to bend them all around the curves.

 

[RobS]

Was that the place off of 30 over towards FW? Looks very interesting.

Yep, that's the place. We get our steel (for work) from there. It is rather impressive, and I'm glad I don't have to pay their electric bill!

 

[Reb954]

Just a point of interest.

When scrapping out rail you can save a lot of time by just cutting the bottom flange, let the rail cool down then smack it with a hammer. I have seen 20' length of rails broken up this way with one smack of a sledge hammer.

Back to your regular programming.

 

[grsthegreat]

i found a 18" piece of old rail metal detecting in an area where they logged cedars back about 100 years ago. it was about 2' under the ground. It was probably used by their blacksmith at the time. now its in my shop.

 

[Streetcar]

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.

You just need correct paper work to sell it

 

[stuckmotor]

You just need correct paper work to sell it

That makes sense.