Realcent.org

Anyone know if railroad spikes and the other stuff along the railroads are worth more than just scrap steel?

I have a few that I use as soft chisels for driving things like bearing races.

In WV turning in ANYTHING state or railroad related will get you a real quick appt. with a State Trooper

Spikes are worth more than scrap on eBay if they are decent looking. People make hooks and coat racks and whatnot out of them. Tie plates too. But I wouldn't go picking stuff up along active rail lines. The railroads frown upon that. Some of them use magnets to pick up scrap metal. Some of them just let it lay. But none of them like trespassers. And depending on where you are at, taking that stuff to the scrap yard will likely raise some eyebrows.

Before 9/11, getting caught on the tracks was no big thing. Now you must be a terrorist.

I've walked or biked every line within 30 miles of here, active and abandoned. We also have something in CT called Rails to Trails. A lot of metal was simply pushed aside in the rush to pave over the track beds, but I doubt you could find a buyer. The scrappers are cautious with good reason I suppose.

I've been an on again, off again collector of primarily glass insulators since I was a kid. Took this photo today, with morning sun streaming in. The one in the middle is the first one I ever found, when I was twelve. 1970 or so. Anyway, that's how I came to spend so much time hunting rail lines.

I have seen some cool knives made from railroad spikes. Also smaller cut sections of rail line make good anvils.

Thanks for all the info. I was thinking of walking the railroad and picking up stuff but not anymore

I have boxes full of spikes and ran out of things to use them for

Remember the great $$ made from steam punk??? Well, take a look at what is for sale on etsy, made from railroad spikes:

https://www.etsy.com/market/railroad_spike

You are going to love this! The prices for the coat rack amaze me but check out the steam punk ear rings:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/165507252/ ... ref=market

All I want for Christmas is a forge.

Hmmm...I came across a couple hundred discarded spikes yesterday. One more reason to check craigslist for a decent used backpack.

As a scrapper I occasionally come across smaller pieces of R/R steel mixed in with old farm iron like spikes, rail plates and anchors. I usually save them for no other reason than I worked for a company doing sidings and spurs when I was quite young. I have made a couple utility anvils out of track also all my Harleys have had spike foot pegs that I made for them and I have a couple 6 foot chunks of rail laying around right now, they make great driveway drag sections.
I don't worry much about having a couple small pieces laying around but I would be very wary of picking up anything from any R/R right of way. They have very strong sense of ownership and intense power of prosecution.