Finally

[66HertzClone]

I have been looking to get a section of railroad rail for several years, hoping to avoid paying shipping and hopefully even paying for it. Thursday and customer was in my shop and I questioned him what the name on the side of his truck represented. He told me they make equipment for railroad maintenance. We chatted some more and I asked if he knew where I might be able to get a section of rail, how long a piece do you need he asked. I told him anywhere from 6" or so to a foot long would be good. He told me he would drop a piece off in the morning. And Friday morning he brought me this section, 15" in length and the cut ends are pretty smooth so I won't have to worry about cutting myself.

I need to clean it up some, apply some paint and brush the top edge to a shine. I am going to attach it to a section of 1 x 6 so I don't scrape up the workbench top when moving it around or hammering away at something on it. I have some vinegar and hopefully it will help out with the surface rust.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Cool, always neat to see a piece of railroad iron getting put to use rather than scrapped.


I'd run a flap disc and scotchbrite along the top to clean it up.

 

[nadogail]

Major Suckage reported here.

 

[kbeefy]

I had a very similar situation a few years ago. Wanted an anvil but hadn't come across any good deals.
Spoke to an friend that worked for the railroad about getting a drop or remnant, he said it was frowned upon.

2 days later he dropped off a chunk about 16" from their shop.

I still haven't done anything with it, suppose I should clean it up and hit it with some paint.

 

[MushCreek]

There are people around here selling pieces of it. I can get a 10' chunk for $100. I figured I'd cut it up for a bunch of anvils and sell off most of them.

 

[CraigStu]

Dang Mush, you have something that will cut a rail?

 

[58Yeoman]

I've got a couple shorter pieces lying around here somewhere, that I got from work when they would work on the rails (my job involved railcars). A few years ago, I sold a heavy anvil to a guy who was getting into blacksmithing, and I sold him a length of rail over 4' for $25 just to get it out of my way, and he appreciated it.

I also have a sliver of a rail that they had to cut off when they replaced a rail on the scale.

 

[MushCreek]

How hard is a rail? I can see maybe some surface hardening on top. My Kalamazoo horizontal saw should cut it. Maybe cut through the work-hardened skin (if there is one) with an abrasive blade.