Can you sell railroad spikes for scrap?
Utility Scrap List. Scrap metal yards are forbidden by state law to accept these items at our facilities. Common utility scrap includes materials such as: Railroad track materials or railroad equipment such as railroad spikes, angle bars, tie plates, signal housing, control boxes, switch plates, or rail tie junctions.
Is it illegal to possess railroad spikes?
Techincally, the spikes are the property of the railroad. You should not be taking them without permission.
Can you date railroad spikes?
Railroads in the U.S. no longer use date nails. With the advent of the computer it is easier to keep records that way. Also, the treatments are pretty much fine tuned and standardized at this point.
Are railroad spikes worth anything?
If you buy them online, used railroad spikes cost ROUGHLY (it will fluctuate) $. 80/spike to $1.30/spike – this doesn’t include shipping. Buying in bulk will get you a lower per unit price and will generally save you money on shipping.
What are old railroad spikes made of?
Railroad spikes are made out of carbon steel and are generally divided into three classes: low carbon, higher carbon and structural steel. Note that it’s higher carbon and not high carbon.
How old is my railroad spike?
look at the track and see if there are date nails, if so this will help you identify the age. if you cant find anything you might want to try and research the railroad starting with topographical maps for the area and see what railroad it was, and find out when it was built and go from there.
What were old railroad spikes made of?
Are there any old railroad spikes for sale?
However, the extra carbon in the nails can take on a unique patina as they age. Can you find any new railroad spikes? Yes. Although many of the railroad spikes you will come across for sale on eBay will be vintage items in used condition, you can still find new nails that have not been fitted to any plates or rails yet.
How much does a railroad spike weigh per pound?
Again it depends on what exactly you buy. In my experience, a 6.5” spike will weight about .76 lbs. 1/.76 = 1.3158 spikes per pound. So if you are an absolute value hound, buying bulk orders of railroad spikes CAN BE marginally cheaper than small orders of steel stock – as small orders generally cost significantly more on a per lb. basis.
What kind of spikes are used for railway ties?
Put the square shank into the rail tie plate hole and the head buckles the steel rail bottom surface when you use the dog spike. Screw spike is also common type rail spike. The screw spikes are used to the railway tie plate and the railway ties.
What happens if you steal a railroad spike?
Railroads own the land surrounding the tracks, so if you see spikes that are “discarded” on the side of the tracks, these ARE NOT FREEBIES. Stealing them is equivalent to walking into someones workshop and helping yourself to their stuff, it’s not cool and could get you into a lot of trouble.