Where can I get real Pennsylvania rr train track or any other railroad of real train track. I have been lookingfor some for some time. Where can I buy some. I want some so that I can use it for a shelf. Thanks
Adari
Real railroad track is quite large and would not be useful for a shelf layout. :)
You did not specify what gauge track. There many online railroad shops on the 'Net. Is there a local hobby shop in your area?
Rich
It would be very heavy, but if that is what you want, go for it. Try a railroad yard, or maybe a scrap metal place. Any industry along side a track may have a peice they will let you have. And talk to the guys that lay track. They would more than likely give you some.
Bruce
Quote from: az2rail on December 25, 2008, 02:56:47 PM
It would be very heavy, but if that is what you want, go for it. Try a railroad yard, or maybe a scrap metal place. Any industry along side a track may have a peice they will let you have. And talk to the guys that lay track. They would more than likely give you some.
Bruce
It's almost 5 feet from rail to rail, making it much too large for a shelf. Also, rail generally weighs up to 150 lbs per foot, x 2 rails, x however many feet of "shelf" you want", PLUS the weight of the solid wood ties....
You really don't want a shelf made of of real train track.
There is also the fact that the rail could be cut down to a smaller length such as say 1/4 foot long. The shelf however would still need to be reinforced to hold the weight of the rail.
It's no different than building a bookcase with bricks. Saw the rail into 9" lengths, stack them up at ends and middle with pine 1 X 10s between.
Quote from: adari on December 25, 2008, 12:44:17 PMWhere can I get real Pennsylvania rr train track or any other railroad of real train track. <snip>
If you Google "Railroad Track," you will see ~1,910,000 hits. That Google search took ~0.10 seconds.
One of the first hits is A&K Railroad Materials, Inc.:
http://www.akrailroad.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx (http://www.akrailroad.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx)
They have ties, including several grades of used ones (called "relay ties"), along with switch ties. They have permanent tie sales sites in 11 locations across the U.S. See:
http://www.akrailroad.com/OnlineCatalog/Products/RailroadTies/tabid/61/Default.aspx (http://www.akrailroad.com/OnlineCatalog/Products/RailroadTies/tabid/61/Default.aspx)
They also catalog rail from 12# / yard up to 152# / yard. See a table of sizes at:
http://www.akrailroad.com/OnlineCatalog/RailJointBars/TeeRailSectionsData/tabid/76/Default.aspx (http://www.akrailroad.com/OnlineCatalog/RailJointBars/TeeRailSectionsData/tabid/76/Default.aspx)
Their full catalog has joint bars, switch frogs and all manner of track construction tools and equipment. It is available on-line or can be ordered through the website.
Lots of the other 1,909,999 Google hits offer similar rail, ties, parts and tools for track laying. All you need to is contact some of them.
Quote from: Paul M. on December 25, 2008, 07:05:52 PM<snip> . . . rail generally weighs up to 150 lbs per foot . . . <snip>
Paul M:
You are correct about track being very large and heavy, but the heaviest U.S. mainline rail is actually ~152# /
yard (or ~51# / foot), not 150# / foot.
Happy RRing,
Jerry
I was assuming that Adari is looking to a small section of rail, not the entire thing. [2 rails and ties]
In as much as the weight may make it not very practical, I could see a section of rail with a model train on it looking pretty cool.
Bruce
If you want to spike it down, add a little history and head out to Tremonton Utah and walk the roadbed of the old Transcontinental railroad. You can find old used spikes along the roadbed. I did.
Some gift shops at Tourist railroads sell short lengths of rail (~3"), painted with felt on the bottom to use as bookends. I have a pair given me years ago by a friend at L. B. Foster, a track material seller. Even a 3" length is pretty heavy.
what i meant when i said shelf was to use the flange as something to hold pictures. not for a acctuall train layout shelf but just hooked up to the walls to hold pictures
Dear Adari,
You might talk to your local vo-tech school that teaches welding, or a local welding shop to see where they could send you.
The NS main line in Altoona is 141 lb to the yard, manufactured in 1971, up at the Coburn crossing, for those of you who know wherof I speak. I have heard from a very good friend that he saw 160 lb rail in the Rose Yard. I have not yet looked for it, but will this year.
I have a friend in the scouts whose father teaches welding at the vo-tech, who made a one ft piece into an anvil. It works great! And as Elwood Blues would say: "Strong stuff!"
Best Wishes, and a Happy New Year to All!
Jack
Will probably rip out your wall... ;)
I have 2 pieces each about 6" long. Both pieces were bought at farm sales .They were being used for anvils. I would suggest a blacksmith shop as a possibility. A cut piece would sell for a dollar a pound.
Don
You could get one small piece, then using Woodland Scenics latex molds and lightweight Hydrocal make several, paint them up with rusty black or whatever you prefer.
A standard length is 39 ft. That amount would fit into a gondola.
It isn't something you put in the back of your pickup and take home.
Don ;D
Quote from: adari on December 26, 2008, 09:51:26 PM
what i meant when i said shelf was to use the flange as something to hold pictures. not for a acctuall train layout shelf but just hooked up to the walls to hold pictures
Nope, still to heavy to spike into the wall just to rest a picture on it. Maybe a section of rail from a live steam operation be better.
adari, you have given me a great idea and I thank you. But I would use a wooden rail, shaped to a profile to match the real thing. Maybe something about the same size an mining rail (15-20 pounds/yard) but in wood it would weight maybe 2 or 3 pounds/yard. "Spiked" to the wall with the base of the rail vertical, the web would make a perfect "shelf" for framed photographs and the head of the rail would keep them from slipping forward and falling off. I can even picture some ersatz spike heads carved out of wood to make it look like the rail was spiked to the wall. A picture perfect picture rail for the train room.
Quote from: Jim Banner on December 30, 2008, 11:01:59 AM
adari, you have given me a great idea and I thank you. But I would use a wooden rail, shaped to a profile to match the real thing. Maybe something about the same size an mining rail (15-20 pounds/yard) but in wood it would weight maybe 2 or 3 pounds/yard. "Spiked" to the wall with the base of the rail vertical, the web would make a perfect "shelf" for framed photographs and the head of the rail would keep them from slipping forward and falling off. I can even picture some ersatz spike heads carved out of wood to make it look like the rail was spiked to the wall. A picture perfect picture rail for the train room.
That was my idea but wanted to use real rail. Maybe ill make some with wood and hangup 3 feet of real rail. thanks for a beter idea then my idea. adari
Quote from: JerryB on December 25, 2008, 10:10:57 PM
Quote from: adari on December 25, 2008, 12:44:17 PMWhere can I get real Pennsylvania rr train track or any other railroad of real train track. <snip>
\Quote from: Paul M. on December 25, 2008, 07:05:52 PM<snip> . . . rail generally weighs up to 150 lbs per foot . . . <snip>
Paul M:
You are correct about track being very large and heavy, but the heaviest U.S. mainline rail is actually ~152# / yard (or ~51# / foot), not 150# / foot.
Happy RRing,
Jerry
Ok, I had forgotten it was weighed by the yard, not by the foot...
Adari's original question was "where can I get real railroad train track?"
It's a fine point of language, but "track" is an assembly of rail, joint bars, ties, tie plates, spikes, and some miscellaneous hardware including all the fasteners to keep the track assembly together.
Seeing that he wants rail requires a different search and produces different answers.
Googling for "railroad rail pieces" produces 127,000 hits in .17 seconds.
The very first hit is a company in San Diego, CA that advertises "Railroad Rail Pieces for Jeweler's or Blacksmith Anvil, Make custom tools." The site also advertises longer lengths of rail as well as spikes, and they invite you to come pick your own rail. There are pictures of piles of rail and spikes. See:
http://sandiego.backpage.com/ToolsForSale/_20_railroad_rail_pieces_for_jeweler_s_or_blacksmith_anvil_make_custom_tools/classifieds/ViewAd?oid=1964633 (http://sandiego.backpage.com/ToolsForSale/_20_railroad_rail_pieces_for_jeweler_s_or_blacksmith_anvil_make_custom_tools/classifieds/ViewAd?oid=1964633)
I didn't look much further, but would bet that somewhere in the over quarter million Google returns, there is a source of the kind of pieces of rail adari and others are looking for that is near to our individual locations. I did see some discussion on getting rail from junk yard sources on at least two of the sites on the first couple of pages of the search returns.
Follow the link I previously provided to A&K Railroad Materials:
http://www.akrailroad.com/OnlineCatalog/RailJointBars/TeeRailSectionsData/tabid/76/Default.aspx (http://www.akrailroad.com/OnlineCatalog/RailJointBars/TeeRailSectionsData/tabid/76/Default.aspx)
There is a table of size and weight of a wide range of rail, starting at 12# / yard. That information is very useful just for modeling. It also provides all the information required to make certain any rail you purchase for paper weights won't collapse your desk!
Happy Railroading,
Jerry
adari,
Try going to your local Home Depot, Menards, Lowes, or lumber yard,
& look at the stair raillings, patio railling, etc. I believe you can come mighty close to the look you are seeking.
Good luck
Barry
Quote from: JerryB on December 30, 2008, 04:37:28 PM
Adari's original question was "where can I get real railroad train track?"
It's a fine point of language, but "track" is an assembly of rail, joint bars, ties, tie plates, spikes, and some miscellaneous hardware including all the fasteners to keep the track assembly together.
Seeing that he wants rail requires a different search and produces different answers.
Googling for "railroad rail pieces" produces 127,000 hits in .17 seconds.
The very first hit is a company in San Diego, CA that advertises "Railroad Rail Pieces for Jeweler's or Blacksmith Anvil, Make custom tools." The site also advertises longer lengths of rail as well as spikes, and they invite you to come pick your own rail. There are pictures of piles of rail and spikes. See:
http://sandiego.backpage.com/ToolsForSale/_20_railroad_rail_pieces_for_jeweler_s_or_blacksmith_anvil_make_custom_tools/classifieds/ViewAd?oid=1964633 (http://sandiego.backpage.com/ToolsForSale/_20_railroad_rail_pieces_for_jeweler_s_or_blacksmith_anvil_make_custom_tools/classifieds/ViewAd?oid=1964633)
I didn't look much further, but would bet that somewhere in the over quarter million Google returns, there is a source of the kind of pieces of rail adari and others are looking for that is near to our individual locations. I did see some discussion on getting rail from junk yard sources on at least two of the sites on the first couple of pages of the search returns.
Follow the link I previously provided to A&K Railroad Materials:
http://www.akrailroad.com/OnlineCatalog/RailJointBars/TeeRailSectionsData/tabid/76/Default.aspx (http://www.akrailroad.com/OnlineCatalog/RailJointBars/TeeRailSectionsData/tabid/76/Default.aspx)
There is a table of size and weight of a wide range of rail, starting at 12# / yard. That information is very useful just for modeling. It also provides all the information required to make certain any rail you purchase for paper weights won't collapse your desk!
Happy Railroading,
Jerry
Sorry I said track Instead of rail. I meant rail
???OH, MY!! :oDoes all this mean that when I cross an old abandoned piece of an old "track" that I have actually crossed only a rail? I'm so glad that none of my English instructors, especially that DOCTOR I had in COLLEGE, were not present to hear me make such a BLUNDER! To have massacred the English language in such a way would surely have resulted in the cutting out of my tongue!!
Should the song have said, "Leave a lot of happy rails as you go down life's road? ???
THANX!!
8) Ernie
No, bevernie, it means that when you have crossed a railway track, you have crossed two rails. Unless somebody stole one of them. Or somebody built a monorail. For the benefit of our southern friends, maybe I should have said railroad track!
Dear Guys,
Please don't try to "cross" my wife. You will find out, as I have that you will be sadly overwhelmed!
Best Wishes,
Jack
BTW, Jim, great idea for the train room!
Would that be one track, or two??