Rail road Rail

At a garage sail I found a George Foreman waffle maker I also think it has a skittle for meat and such Never saw one like this and for $3 the AL made it a no risk deal. Picked up a few other items and the the home owner help me to the truck with the goodies . It was obvious what I did to make money with this truck, so we started talking and he said he had a rail road Rail in his yard that years ago he took to a local yard but they did not want it from him - The the yard man said he could get in trouble having it in his yard . So I took a look at the contraband & and he said when i got my house 22 years ago it came with the house
I told him it feels like 70 pounds and I offed him $5 bucks.
I figure it will make a nice anvil and it sure did as I busted up some Cast AL from a sewing machine just now .I like it cause since it is so long when you hit it it's not to loud , Some anvils sound like your ringing a bell.

SO the question ?
I did buy it at a garage sale and now I have it sitting with pride for all to see ,I guess it is stupid to ask now but is it illegal to have can a spiteful person cause me trouble with this item
I figure it to be 50 years old or older . and about 6 feet long , I can see from modern rails this one is an oldie.

In this case it's not likely, but it COULD be considered theft of RR property, It is a federal felony and can result in life in prison.

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Originally Posted by Mick

In this case it's not likely, but it COULD be considered theft of RR property, It is a federal felony and can result in life in prison.

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Well isn't that just wonderful for me - and i paid 5 bucks for it - that was a good deal - well there are no pics of me at the yard stealing

Someone with the authority to get you in trouble for that would have to be extreeeeemely bored....

Actually I had a similar situation come up when we cleaned my grandfathers property when he passed away. No yard would even look at it. Someone apparently had some rail spikes and they tagged him with a $10k fine. I know that seems silly for some okd spikes but those railroad guys seem to just have a vendetta out...just watch where you have it or cut it up and use part.

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Originally Posted by webuyselltradestuff

Actually I had a similar situation come up when we cleaned my grandfathers property when he passed away. No yard would even look at it. Someone apparently had some rail spikes and they tagged him with a $10k fine. I know that seems silly for some okd spikes but those railroad guys seem to just have a vendetta out...just watch where you have it or cut it up and use part.

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Thing you gotta wonder about is on ebay people sell rail road spikes ,
There is no record of me selling RR stuff to any yard , But i better see what the rules are here . I got the hot potato
I would think selling RR stuff to the yard thats taken a chance.
Just figures I am careful to get permission, nice on the road & now I own it - But what a nice anvil !!

I have a nice chunk that someone made into an anvil. It is a little short of 2 feet long, but they cut a point at one end and blasted some holes in the base in order to mount it to a bench. Pretty crude, but it serves it's purpose. I will try and get a picture of it tomorrow to show you.

Years ago, when I was clearing off my late uncle's farm, I ran across a rotting stump inside of an old wood shed. I thought it was a strange place for a stump to be stored. The much older (and wiser) gentleman that was with me said to look around for an anvil, as it was common practice to mount anvils atop stumps on dirt floors. We dug around in the dirt, and sure enough, there was the tip of an old anvil sticking up. It was one of those old railroad based anvils and looks to have been made using a cutting torch. I still use it to this day. :)

My dad has a piece from HIS dad from way back when. There were two, I took one piece on my very first scrap drop off and got yelled at.

You cant get in trouble for owning it (what are they gonna do? arrest you for your father or grandfather for taking it in the first place??) but you can get in trouble trying to scrap it.

Folks beat me to the punch...I was going to say..cut that sucker up with a torch or whathaveyou and make anvils out of it. Yard won't take it cause its part of the forbidden fruit they won't buy, but other folks who work with metal sure will. We have a couple blacksmiths down here on my sandbar, they'd love something like that, maybe there is something similar out your way.

Just goes to show you, you can find all kinds of cool stuff at yard/garage sales.

Sirscrapalot - Alll aaaabboooard!

This one I am keeping, not for sale .It's real grungy looking .I had two Cast Al sewing machines and I opted to just bust em up to separate Al and bits of Short.
some of the hard pieces were no match for the rail.
Next --
I have a customer I am painting for he has a piece of steel 1/2 inch thick 4 1/2 tall by 2 foot wide that was hard to pick up . I'm gonna inquire.
Just collecting dust ??

Before I knew any better and before I got involved in scrapping, I sold a 4 foot piece of rail on eBay. eBay didn't object at that time, although I wouldn't be surprised if they do by now. Put it in my store for $300 or best offer and got $250 for it. While I was happy with the result of my garage sale freebie, I did this in all innocence and would not recommend you doing it today.

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Originally Posted by BurlyGuys

Before I knew any better and before I got involved in scrapping, I sold a 4 foot piece of rail on eBay. eBay didn't object at that time, although I wouldn't be surprised if they do by now. Put it in my store for $300 or best offer and got $250 for it. While I was happy with the result of my garage sale freebie, I did this in all innocence and would not recommend you doing it today.

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4 years ago when the scrap fever hit me , things could be sold out of innocence & the yards might even turn and look away .But the more you sell to them and build up records of receipts that will need a large box to hold those receipts . The scrap yards hold you way more accountable on your products as they expect you to know what to sell them , last thing they need is a customer of 4 years getting investigated for selling stolen items to them, nobody looks good.

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Originally Posted by Mick

In this case it's not likely, but it COULD be considered theft of RR property, It is a federal felony and can result in life in prison.

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I am involved in prison ministry. should I go ahead and send letters, in advance, so I can be on your mailing and visitation list? :-o

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Originally Posted by BroJer

I am involved in prison ministry. should I go ahead and send letters, in advance, so I can be on your mailing and visitation list? :-o

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No, I'll leave that up to you.

was actually directing that at the OP, Mick, since he is the one in possession of said contraband ;-)

If he tried selling to a yard I could see a case made of.."Recieving stolen property" but law is not my forte, but seriously that's the only charge I could see, an someone would have be a real douche bag to go that route. From Copperhead's description it shows its age, an he could just tell who he got it from. I wouldn't do ebay, or the yard. Ebay has gone all mommy on certain items, they don't want sold. That's cool, it's their right and their company to do as they please. I would hope the law would have better things to do then come after someone for a piece of rail road rail that is over 40 years old..maybe a statue of limitations on something like that..I dunno, I ain't a lawyer or a cop. LOL.

Bigger things in this world to worry over then someone who bought/given a piece of rail at a yard/garage sale.

Just how I see it, an Copperhead I agree, put it to use for yourself, an don't worry about selling it or anything. An if anyone does ask you about, make sure you keep the guy who you got it from's name an address. If anyone was guilty of stealing it was him or his family, etc.

Dot them i's and cross them t's, an CYA. ;)

Sirscrapalot - Always enjoyed taking a trip by train.

I agree, it's not likely. That's why I emphasized the "could". I had a woman call me and offered a lot of rail from an abandoned line on her property that ran to some building of hers. That's when I researched it. There is no Statute of Limitations. The RR retains Right of Way forever unless released by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). For a scrap yard to accept rail, you need a letter from the RR company stamped on it. Which can't be done if the RR is defunct. Then you would need a letter from the company who bought its stuff. The RR has some really strange laws - including being Trespassing for walking along a track: Being illegal to take pictures along a track; illegal to put salt on tracks and it goes on and on.

I have a piece myself about 4 foot long that came with a bunch of scrap I bought at an estate auction. Reminded me of when my grandfather in the Texas panhandle had one mounted on 4x4 posts as an anvil. Only thing I am trying to figure out now is where to mount mine.

I never would of thought about salt on tracks
Best rule stay away from rail road tracks. ( go to garage sails ) any scrapper that frequents a scrap yard will be guilty on sight , no possible excuse.
But to be truthful if I was just a guy with no affiliation with scrap I would not give it a thought. Regardless where it sits is where it stays .
In hind sight - I was pulled over - for 8 pounds fiber optic wire - like it was the theft of the century (never became a problem by the way) No doubt about if I had that rail in my truck they would have reamed me absolutely that would of been juicy , Garage sale Ha two people would of had a lot of explaining. & I would of lost the rail to the police as evidence.

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Originally Posted by newattitude

My dad has a piece from HIS dad from way back when. There were two, I took one piece on my very first scrap drop off and got yelled at.

You cant get in trouble for owning it (what are they gonna do? arrest you for your father or grandfather for taking it in the first place??) but you can get in trouble trying to scrap it.

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what about a case where you have written authorization from the R.R. company, cause behind my house is old old tracks that im thinking of calling them up and see what they say. once permission (written) is given a scrap yard should have no problem.

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Originally Posted by TheRecycleGuy

what about a case where you have written authorization from the R.R. company, cause behind my house is old old tracks that im thinking of calling them up and see what they say. once permission (written) is given a scrap yard should have no problem.

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Take the letter to the yard with you and let us know. Like it was explained to me - You need that letter from the RR whose name is stamped on the rail. If that RR is defunct, you'll need a letter from the current owner of the defunct RR property. If there is no current registered owner, you can't possibly get that letter, right? If there IS a current registered owner, they won't give permission to remove RR property. Either way, it means you're not getting a letter.

4 foot lengths in the trunk of car being scrapped has never raised any red flags

In my part of the world, there was lots of mining in the old days where a guy would dig a rathole in the rock and use those little mine cars like you see in museums. The rail was about half the size of regular RR rail. Does that stuff count as fair game? I got a few chunks I dug up when I cleared some land in the back 40.

What about rail that you can buy yourself by going to your friendly neighborhood steel supplier? I used to order the stuff to replace rail track used in lumber dry kilns--the wood was put on little cars that ran on rails thru the kilns. The environment inside the kiln would rust out the rails in a very short time.

I suspect that the kicker might be in the fine print--a railroad rail that has a name embossed on it, such as might be the case when a railway company custom ordered a thousand tons of rail...they would be able to custom order anything they wanted rolled into the rail as it was being made...

So if a rail section cannot be traced to an owner, ie, not having a RR name on it, wouldn't it have to be assumed to be just a piece of steel?

Jon.

^^^Jon, mine didn't have a stamp on it and they still yelled at me. I think, with this kind of thing (where folks have old sections of rail from way back when scrapping laws weren't an issue) it just all still falls into the current law guidelines. it doesn't matter if the pieces I had/have were 80 years old or 10 years old, its still illegal for the yards to buy them from curbside scrappers or the average homeowner who just happens to have a piece of rail in their possession.

I mean, no way can I trace the pieces I have at dads nor authenticate and get any type of receipt of possession from them to be able to legally sell them. Unfortunately we aren't grandfathered in.

I wouldn't sell em for scrap anyway, worth much more just to use as an anvil. I've got 2 or 3 of em laying around here that came from who knows where, or even when. Probly from flea markets or such

cut it into 12 or 6 inch sections then sell them as anvils or boat anchors. People will scoop them up for 5-10 each.

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4 foot lengths in the trunk of car being scrapped has never raised any red flags

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I heard a story some years ago, about a junkyard that sent a car to the shredder with a railroad car wheel in the trunk. It was said that they got the bill for the 50 thousand bucks it cost to fix the shredder.

I'll dig up 3 or 4 foot long chunks of rail every now and then. The worst reaction I ever got was....

Yard man: "I'm not supposed to take that."

Me: "Ok. I can take it to a place down in town and they'll take it."

Yard man: "Throw it off. I'll hide it in the middle of the pile."

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Originally Posted by Ditchdigger

I heard a story some years ago, about a junkyard that sent a car to the shredder with a railroad car wheel in the trunk. It was said that they got the bill for the 50 thousand bucks it cost to fix the shredder.

I'll dig up 3 or 4 foot long chunks of rail every now and then. The worst reaction I ever got was....

Yard man: "I'm not supposed to take that."

Me: "Ok. I can take it to a place down in town and they'll take it."

Yard man: "Throw it off. I'll hide it in the middle of the pile."

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some yards process there product ( they shred ) so they might deal with it better .

u need a letter from the local rail companies or freeway maintenance crews in order to turn it in ...

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Originally Posted by Ditchdigger

I heard a story some years ago, about a junkyard that sent a car to the shredder with a railroad car wheel in the trunk. It was said that they got the bill for the 50 thousand bucks it cost to fix the shredder.

I'll dig up 3 or 4 foot long chunks of rail every now and then. The worst reaction I ever got was....

Yard man: "I'm not supposed to take that."

Me: "Ok. I can take it to a place down in town and they'll take it."

Yard man: "Throw it off. I'll hide it in the middle of the pile."

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Sounds like an old wives tail since The majority of US train wheels are 36 inch, and are 2,200 pounds

i think the guys at the scale would have had a suspicion when the car weighed double.

Throwing anything over 1\4" thick in the trunk of a car or in the bed of a truck that you are scrapping, is a REAL good way to get fined by the local yard. The yard I use does shred passenger vehicles. However, their shredder will only process to a thickness of 1\4" thick or less.

I tried taking some square tubing that had a 1\2" wall and instead of getting the shred price for it, I had to take it to their 'Torch Area', I learned really quick, anything the yard has to cut with a torch or their sheer, you only get HALF of the regular shred price.

Sorry if I hijacked your thread.

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Originally Posted by theelectronrecycler

I tried taking some square tubing that had a 1\2" wall and instead of getting the shred price for it, I had to take it to their 'Torch Area', I learned really quick, anything the yard has to cut with a torch or their sheer, you only get HALF of the regular shred price.

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Wow did you get screwed! You should have gotten $100 per ton more than shred for that heavy melt steel.

My grandfather had two chunks of old rail. One was used as an anvil the other a boat anchor. They were in the family for ever before he got them. His grandfather was a "section boss" with the railroad. He was responsible for a twice daily inspection of the tracks. He also oversaw repairs and such. I suspect that both chunks came from him. His railroad work was in the late 1800's so I am positive that no one could prove ownership one way or the other. When my grandfather died, the chunks ended up with my BIL.

There are many thousand and thousands of private trunk lines , many are very old . The RR does not own these , they are paid for by the company where they go to pays for them..or the city. county are state... There are several companys that install rail lines... would get a letter or bill of sell from this person ,and have him state that it was there when he bought the property..and have it notarized. You can file a copy of this with your county clerk.

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i think the guys at the scale would have had a suspicion when the car weighed double.

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Not if it went across the scale on an 18 wheeler with a dozen others. But yeah, it could be BS.

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some yards process there product ( they shred ) so they might deal with it better .

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This one doesn't, but you're missing the point, which is that the shredder doesn't deal well with great big thick chunks of steel.

And as RustyDollars said above, heavy melt brings a better price than shredder. There's not much ferrous that's worth less than shredder.

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Originally Posted by Ditchdigger

I heard a story some years ago, about a junkyard that sent a car to the shredder with a railroad car wheel in the trunk. It was said that they got the bill for the 50 thousand bucks it cost to fix the shredder."

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I remember reading about the same or a similar situation here in SMF.

Apparently the guy had the peices up about 2 1/2 feet horizontal off the ground & lifted the boot lid & then backed the car up over the rails.
When it hit the firewall he cut them off & closed the boot on them.....

I'd just LOVE to hear what it sounded like when it hit the mincer.

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I'd just LOVE to hear what it sounded like when it hit the mincer.

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If the scrap was thick enough then it might have stopped it.

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

If the scrap was thick enough then it might have stopped it.

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Betyah it was real quiet for about 2 seconds.

Till about 1000 car alarms went off.