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Posted by on December 28, 2006, 3:13 am
Please log in for more thread options > GDay theChas,
> I'm not sure of the differences between the weights of rails, I
> suspect that we don't have near the variety here in Oz, that you
> Seppo buggers have :-) (no offence intended).
>
> What I do know is that rail is very tough steel, it has to be to
> take the pounding that it gets with thousands of tons of railcars
> passing over it. I use it to make hardy tools - I slice a bit
> from the end of the rail and then cut the web off the bottom, then
> forge the top to shape - makes great cutoff hardies amd bottom
> fullers. I don't even bother to heat treat it after forging,
> other than normalizing. Used rail would be even better as it gets
> work-hardened.
>
> Now to your question. The local blacksmith shop/teaching station/
> construction works - its a backyarder who does all this stuff,
> including building treadle hammers and power hammers - uses rail
> as basic dies for the hammers. I've looked at the dies after they
> have taken a flogging over a couple of years, then I spoke to the
> guy about them. He said that he doesn't heat treat them, just
> grinds the sharper edge to a nice radius then bolts them on.
> They worked fine.
>
> I'd be thinking, that you could just bolt the bit of rail in
> place, use it, then see if it does show any sign of wear or
> deformation, after a couple of weeks of use. If it does, then you
> know you have to heat treat that length of rail. I'd suspect that
> you will not have too do so.
>
> Let us know how you go,
> Regards
> Rusty_iron
> in Oz.
Seppo buggers? :)
All that sounds really good to me too! :)
And yeah, let us know. :) (no time limit)
We would replace rail on the mainline that'd been in service, right
in that spot, for 15 to 20 years (then use it somewhere else like
a siding and be good for 100 years there).
What was really cool was the severe damage the first loaded train
would do to it. I swear it looks like it won't last more than a
week or so.
Railroad rail is "control cooled" they call it, but everybody else
would call it "normalized" since it's pure fine pearlite. And will
work harden to beat heck. I've had reasons to cut with a hand
hacksaw blade (65hrc HSS) and file (67hrc 1.22%C steel) some of that
work hardened crap hangging over some of my insulated-rail-joints.
No luck, no kidding. Instead had to basically dull the crap out of
my cold chisels (name brands) and break off the lip bridging the
rail ends. Whatever it took to clear the signals so I could go
back home, was fine with me. ;)
Alvin in AZ (retired signalape)
ps- seppo = separatists (?)
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