Using Railroad Track for bridge beams

[Streetcar]

Is it practical to weld the rails togather in a truss style?

You have be a good welder as crack can lead to entire bridge falling

 

[4570Man]

Is it practical to weld the rails togather in a truss style?

I’m sure it’s possible but the difficulty to cut railroad and it’s uneven shape that won’t weld good doesn’t make for a very practical project.

 

[bmaverick]

We are replacing all the 90 lb rail (90lbs/foot) at our plant with 120 lb rail to serve today's larger cars. I now have access to sticks of the 90lb rail in various lengths (most 20+ ft) at no cost. I need to build a bridge to get my Kubota M6800 across a creek on my farm. A couple of times a week I stand there and look at this rail and wonder if I can use it as the beams for a bridge to span about 20 feet. The tractor has a loader and the tires are ballasted so I'm figuring about 9,000 lbs of weight.

Has anyone used rail as bridge beams?

Thanks in advance.

Go to a mobile home part and ask for a single unit that has either been condemned of occupant use or had a fire. You are after the trailer frame.

If the crossing is less than 45FT, then buy a 53FT sea shipping container to span it over. If it's even less, buy a 1/2 long container.

Semi truck trailer that was damaged due to an accident or a flipped one damaged due to high winds.

Not rails off the rail road, but a flt bed rail car would work.

 

[bcp]

All the mobile home frames I've seen are very flimsy and flexible.. I suspect much of the mobile home's rigidity comes from the building structure, not the frame.

Thread about it.

Mobile home frame for short span bridge?

I can get burnt house trailer frame for cost of acet /ox to cut it into trailerable sections, provided I remove all of it. Any TBNers seen these frames used for short span (10-15') bridges across creeks?

www.tractorbynet.com

Bruce

 

[4570Man]

Go to a mobile home part and ask for a single unit that has either been condemned of occupant use or had a fire. You are after the trailer frame.

If the crossing is less than 45FT, then buy a 53FT sea shipping container to span it over. If it's even less, buy a 1/2 long container.

Semi truck trailer that was damaged due to an accident or a flipped one damaged due to high winds.

Not rails off the rail road, but a flt bed rail car would work.

The sea can or semi trailers are solid plans but mobile home frames barely support themselves.

 

[Rockbadchild]

It is pretty much impossible to weld (you can but the weld won't hold) the top of the rail (where the train run on) it has been harden by quench so the only way to weld them together would be to preheat them and weld the two bottoms rails together.

 

[LD1]

The sea can or semi trailers are solid plans but mobile home frames barely support themselves.

Now thats hard to believe

I cant tell you how many house trailer frames I have seen on craigslist for sale to build a homemade trailer out of. They are just a house trailer with the structure removed......frame rails.....crossmembers......and axles. Listed as "HEAVY DUTY" trailer frame. Just needs decking

 

[Rockbadchild]

Now thats hard to believe

I cant tell you how many house trailer frames I have seen on craigslist for sale to build a homemade trailer out of. They are just a house trailer with the structure removed......frame rails.....crossmembers......and axles. Listed as "HEAVY DUTY" trailer frame. Just needs decking

I wouldn't have problem with camper trailer, still wouldn't call it heavy duty tho ... I took apart an old house trailer on my property it was collapse and rotten so I basically just wanted to clean it up and get that thing out of there and I figured I could use the frame for a dock.... well, it's not even good enough for that... the cross members are two 1/8 flat bar one on top and one at the bottom with and 1/2 round steel undulated in a Z pattern in the middle.

 

[Williy]

The house trailer frames that I have seen are made with
I beams and reinforced very sturdy. Made in the last 10 yrs
When I worked for Mr Choo Choo even the 6 inch ribbin
rails will bend, You could weld them together but them
you will have a tremendous amount of weight and I do
not believe that is will support any amount of weight.
Purchase some metal I beams let them know the span
and how much weight you want to run over them.

willy

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

As I read the original post, it sounds like there is plenty of steel available. How many sticks were you planning to use for the bridge?