found a railroad rail

[gumper48]

I found (while bush hogging tall grass/weeds) a partiallly buried railroad rail, in it's whole length, must be at least 30' long, too long to load on a 24' trailer and get tractor on also.
I need a section to make a drag and another short length for the box blade, disc, etc. etc.--
How can this be cut. I don't want to get a welder involved, would like to DIY.
Will acetelene (sp) cut through it ?
Did a search for posts on the cutting of heavy metal but found nothing pertaining to a rail.
Would take a while to hack saw it.

any info appreciated.
keith

*(need an excuse to buy a a torch)

 

[Egon]

Yes, a torch would cut through it but so would a hacksaw!

 

[Shmudda]

I found (while bush hogging tall grass/weeds) a partiallly buried railroad rail, in it's whole length, must be at least 30' long, too long to load on a 24' trailer and get tractor on also.
I need a section to make a drag and another short length for the box blade, disc, etc. etc.--
How can this be cut. I don't want to get a welder involved, would like to DIY.
Will acetelene (sp) cut through it ?
Did a search for posts on the cutting of heavy metal but found nothing pertaining to a rail.
Would take a while to hack saw it.

any info appreciated.
keith

*(need an excuse to buy a a torch)

A torch will be the best bet to cut this rail. Saw cutting with a sawzall is always an option too, depending on size, but also remember some of these rails are hardened on the bulb side where the wheels run. Thats bad news for blades.

Good luck.....

Craig

 

[BungeeII]

How about renting a gas powered cut-off saw?

 

[JB4310]

I have a section of rail also, thought about a drag but not sure what the best way to cut it would be, a torch might be tricky due to how thick it is, though I've not yet found anything I couldn't cut, turn up the regulators and let the slag fly/drip.

Would be an ugly cut, I also have a 12 " demo saw, with an abrasive wheel the cut would be clean but probably slower, have yet to find anything I couldn't cut with saw either, even long cuts thru 3/4" plate.
Good luck, JB

 

[MarkLeininger]

Invite some 7 year olds to your house and tell them not to touch it. It will be in pieces before you know it. Then use the pieces to make a cage to put the 7 year olds in.

 

[ampsucker]

i like mark's idea with the kids..... ;-)

seriously, a cut off saw with good abrasive blade or a gas axe is the way to go. don't worry, acetylene or propane will make short work of it.

amp

 

[SPYDERLK]

Invite some 7 year olds to your house and tell them not to touch it. It will be in pieces before you know it. Then use the pieces to make a cage to put the 7 year olds in.

LoL...

 

[john_bud]

Abrasive wheel will cut it like butta.
jb

 

[tallyho8]

I've cut a couple of them with acetylene to drag my arena with but it's not pretty.

 

[Pooh_Bear]

I cut one once with an oxy-acetylene cutting torch.
It took at least two hours to make one cut.
The steel wicks the heat away from the cut line
to fast to get it to burn away. 4 of us worked on it.
If I had to do another one I would set up a power hacksaw.
Just let it do its thing and check on it from time to time.

Pooh Bear

 

[bigdad]

The RR guys use large abrasive wheel saws to make cuts that will remain in the track. Of course they are made specially for RR service and have special clamps etc. When scrapping, they use Propane/Oxie torches.

 

[mbohuntr]

I don't know much about cutting it, but I never had much much luck welding it, way too much carbon, welds rip right out of it. Maybe someone in here knows a good way....

 

[ronjhall]

Needed a front weight for our Farmall 340. Previous owner of our place left a 6' section of RR rail. Cut it off with acetylene. No problem. But it did not look pretty. Welded angle iron for frame to bottom side of rail. That front bumper/weight is still on tractor 30 years later.

 

[silverdollar6]

Did you happen to see a train around there?

 

[kthompson]

I cut one once with an oxy-acetylene cutting torch.
It took at least two hours to make one cut.
The steel wicks the heat away from the cut line
to fast to get it to burn away. 4 of us worked on it.
If I had to do another one I would set up a power hacksaw.
Just let it do its thing and check on it from time to time.

Pooh Bear

No torch user but it sounds like you had too small a tip there. Have seen about same thickness cut at good speed with proper size tips.

 

[Redbug]

I have used a cutoff saw to cut rail. However...the blades will not reach all the way through the rail. I had to cut one side and then the other. Rail is heavy stuff, and there are different weights of rail. The standard main rail size weighs around 50 pounds per foot. 6 feet of it weighs around 300 pounds. I use a 6 foot piece on my box blade as extra ballast.

 

[em14]

Once upon a time ... I made a large brush rake which we made foldable on a D-7's blade ... we used propane to cut it cause we had it and it took a very long time to make a cut. Welds were made using an old tombstone welder and it work well. This was large and heavy track .... The brush rake worked like a charm! The construction time was heavy on the cutting side ...
Leo

 

[bigdad]

Look on the side or web of the rail and somewhere you will see the maker ie: Bethlehem etc. the date and the weight...... 85, 90, 100, 110, 112, 115, 129, 132, 136 etc etc. Rail is weighed by the yard. Rail is butt welded together in the track either with Thermite or electrically. The welds are tested periodically electronically for flaws. Quite a process.

I have used a cutoff saw to cut rail. However...the blades will not reach all the way through the rail. I had to cut one side and then the other. Rail is heavy stuff, and there are different weights of rail. The standard main rail size weighs around 50 pounds per foot. 6 feet of it weighs around 300 pounds. I use a 6 foot piece on my box blade as extra ballast.

 

[barneyrb]

I have used a Milwaukee chop saw to cut rail before. Took 3-5 min per cut.