Rail

[Erik Z. Missal]

Hi,
I heard today on the radio that Reed & Reed Inc of Woolwich, got a $12 million dollar contract for some rehab at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. As part of the rehab work they are going to be removing old rail out of the yard. It said there was over 1000 feet of track to be removed. Maybe they could be convinced that it would be a good thing to donate it to the WW&F. 

Erik

[Mike Fox]

The rail in the shipyard may be too heavy, or large, depending on which way you look at it. Most likely, if the rail has seen any service since the 1900's, it would be atleast 75#, guessing though it is 85#.

[Steve Smith]

Suppose we did get some donated 75# or 85#. Anybody know how likely it'd be we could trade that for 65#?

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

We have traded heavy rail for 60lb before.  That's how we got the extra rail we have now.  Kovalchic Salvage in PA takes rail in trade.

Stewart

[Wayne Laepple]

I wouldn't get my hopes up too high. With the price of scrap as high as it is, this contractor will likely have already calculated the value of the rail and included it in his margin on the entire project.

[John Kokas]

Actually the scrap prices have fallen quite a bit with the slowdown globally, heavy iron is going for about 140-150/ton and that is provided it is "prepped", e.g. cut into 3-4  foot lengths.  The primary contractor probably has quotes from a local scrappers who has already figured this in, but it would be a lot less than scrap to account for removal and prep.

[Wayne Laepple]

The point is that there is virtually no chance that the contractor will donate the rail, particularly because he's bearing the cost of removal. He'd hope the sale of the rail to a scrapper would offset his cost in removing it. He'd also have to dispose of the old ties, more than likely.