Track availability

[Vincent "Lightning" LeRow]

hey guys ive got a lead you may want to look into for 60# rail. take a look at this link

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?200607082019536245.jpg:bysearch:flood:SEARCHTYPE=SIMPLE&PAGE=3&BOOL=ALL&SEARCHSTRING=flood

Just copy and paste to your browser

read the description and take a look at the small hight of the rail.  theres alegedly a whole siding of this

[Mike Fox]

Interesting looking bumper. The rail looks about the right height. Any idea where this is?

[Ed Lecuyer]

The caption says "Gardner, Mass."

To which the WW&F masses cry, "No! Not more rail from Gardner!!"

[John McNamara]

The caption says "Gardner, Mass."

To which the WW&F masses cry, "No! Not more rail from Gardner!!"

By way of clarification for those who might not know the story, a volunteer who lives down that way assured us that everything was all set for us to remove some rail from a chair factory down there. So, we assembled a team of people, some trucks, tongs, and other tools and set to work. We were hard at work when the police showed up and threw us off the property. Evidently the proper arrangements had not been completed. Some weeks later, with positive assurances from all involved, we completed the project, but the rails turned out to need a lot of rework.

[Vincent "Lightning" LeRow]

To which the WW&F masses cry, "No! Not more rail from Gardner!!"

The WW&F masses shouldn't be refusing rail because of where it's coming from.  But, I would suggest a nice scouting mission before we try going for it; things like the condition, acess, and necessity of reworking should be looked for. 

Seeing the age of the spur, it shouldnt be too hard to remove, the ties will be pretty soft.  Perhaps the bumper could be modified and used in our yard or at the sheepscot end of the mainline.  It'l look classy and make a nice conversation piece.

[Stephen Hussar]

The WW&F masses shouldn't be refusing rail because of where it's coming from. I would suggest a nice scouting mission before we try going for it; things like the condition, acess, and necessity of reworking should be looked for. 

Many such "scouting missions" have taken place, and continue to take place... because of the number of dead ends, most of the membership is never made aware of them.

[Wayne Laepple]

Just to add a bit of perspective to this discussion, several months ago, our museum received a credit of $700 a ton for scrap 70 pound rail. Today, I read on another forum that no. 1 melting scrap is selling for $50 a ton at the mill. They are not even quoting scrap rail.

[Bill Reidy]

Has the collapse in scrap prices affected the price of used 60# rail?

- Bill

[Wayne Laepple]

I understand the price of relay rail has decreased, but not to the extent of scrap. The price seems to vary, based on demand. Relay 132 pound, one of the most popular sections, is still around $1,000 per ton. I don't know about 60-pound, though.

[Vincent "Lightning" LeRow]

Well, if this siding checks out, i don't live that far away.  Is there a field trip in the near future?  I'd love to go.

By the way, I've got another site with pictures of abandoned rail in the same area as the bumper pic I posted earlier.

http://members.fortunecity.com/railtrails/MA/GW/GW-S0271.htm

If you look at the fifth and seventh pics you can see rail on the ground.  notice the low switch staind in the backround of the fourth pic (need one for the TOM?).

Is that the dreaded chair factory in the second and fourth pics?

(Please evaluate and either accept or regect rail on a case by case basis, not simply because of where it is located.)

[John McNamara]

I think the first question to be asked is whether the rail is the right size. A Google search of "rail dimensions" shows that according to http://www.molyneuxindustries.com/RailData.htm and http://www.s-scale.org.uk/rails.htm, ASCE 60-pound rail is 4-1/4 inches high and 4-1/4 wide at the base.

Most of the rail that I've seen here in eastern Massachusetts is 85-pound (5-3/16 inches high and 5-3/16 inches wide at the base).

-John

[James Patten]

We have about a dozen switch stands at the moment.  I don't think we need any more for a while.

[Wayne Laepple]

What? Are they multiplying up there in the woods? 15 switch stands? Oh my goodness!

[Mike Fox]

We stored them too close together Wayne. They have now been separated and the numbers stay the same.

[Vincent "Lightning" LeRow]

We have about a dozen switch stands at the moment.  I don't think we need any more for a while

I was refering to the frog and points conected to it, which I am pretty sure we will need for the TOM

I should have been a bit more specific.  sorry.

and, if this is in the same area and in fact the same line that you scavanged rail from before, there is a good chance that it could be 60#.  Unless the chair factory rail was a siding, then I'm not so sure.