Made the leap into Divorce-Scale railroading (2' gauge). Have about 250-300 ft of track to install, looking for more rail. I'm running 12# rail now, I can probably go up to 20# with my bender. If anyone knows of some rail in NEPA or within a reasonable driving distance of Binghamton, please let me know. I have contacted just about all the manufacturers to purchase new rail and none of them have returned my requests. Thanks!

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jdr

JohnR,
I'd keep an eye out on these pages as up until recently there was a lot of ads for small rail. Seems most got sold recently although three still remain, Indiana, Kansas and California which I presume is "too far" shipping-wise?
http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/discov ... stock.html
We, as in the local park railway here, have just sought new 12lb, approx. 1500 yds worth, quote came back from the steel supplier at $46NZD per metre and that was before the recent major currency revaluation, rail was to be sourced from Japan. Looks we'll be like adding 15% onto that now.

Is Berwick, Maine close enough in your definition of driving distance?

Chris
in New Zealand

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Alive and Well....for now

Maine is a considerable distance. Thanks for the tip, too. I wrote one of the sellers on discoverlivesteam, no reply. (I sold my whole 7 1/2" gauge railroad on there recently). I wrote and called 5 rail manufacturers. Same thing. Seems no one wants to do business anymore. I'm only going to buy maybe 500 feet of rail. A friend of mine works for a class 3 railroad, I'm going to see if I can jump on an order with them. I have time to look. Calling a junk yard near Lancaster today based on a friend's tip that they may have some. Transporting it is an issue, but I moved an entire 2' gauge railroad from southern pa, so I'll find a way.

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jdr

There is a 15 " line for sale up in Berwick, Tall Pines Scenic railroad, http://www.tallpinesscenicrailroad.com/ , and the owner is selling now piecemeal.
There's another in Idaho near Emmett just come up
http://railswap.org/osc/classifieds/ind ... em&id=1820
Have you tried Harmer Steel out of Portland Oregon?, last I knew they were selling 12lb and 20lb but would only quote price in Tons not per stick.
As a last resort it is possible to rip an I-beam lengthwise with a disc in a skillsaw and weld on a flatbar to the T. I made over 360ft of 12lb-ish this way for my 18" gauge Tramway before stumbling onto a lot of surplus 12lb in good nick.

I also welded up 3 flats into a proper rail shape that is a passable 10lb and I'd do more that way in the future. http://www.trainweb.org/riverview/raildesign.html I used an arc. PM me if you want to know more on the fabricating rail if it is of interest. A 5" I-beam would do for 20lb. A plasma cutter might do better than the cut-off disc but would need to be jig mounted, can't be any variation in the height of the T before welding on the flat.

Chris
in New Zealand

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Alive and Well....for now

I had contacted Harmer with no reply. That train in Idaho is a steal! Had that been within 5-6 hours I'd have got that one! It's the type of equipment I was looking for. But I got mine for a very good price too. I like your fabrication idea. I have a friend who sells new metal. He can get whatever I need to make rails, I would have to find a fabricator to make it since I don't have that capability.

I missed an auction today near Scranton by just a few hours. I called the auctioneer and asked if the track went too. It was a park train with 1100' of track, all 12# rail. It sold as a lot so I probably wouldn't have got it anyway, but whoever bought it really made out. It's in running condition and it all went for $17,120 and can easily sell for $100,000. The purchaser is not interested in selling the track. Yet. I'll bet we see it on discoverlivesteam.com soon for much more.

The scrap yard near Lancaster PA, 3 1/2 hours from here, told me he has plenty of 12# rail always in stock. More than I will ever need, and he does not scrap it. He's working up a price for me and he's going to measure the lengths so I can decide what type of vehicle I would need to transport it. Just need to see if he actually gets back to me.

Thanks for all your info! I really appreciate it. I may get back to you about fabricating rail if I decide I'm going to do a lot of my straight sections like that. It may be the best option.

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jdr

No problem, like I said, just ask. I don't know how many hours I procrastinated over the lack of rail. I do know it did cost me several years progress by not biting the bullet, getting in and learning how to weld the flats on. Especially as around the time I actually produced some rail, the cost of new steel doubled almost over night and welding rods, well they're 3 times the price now..
Here's some clarification on the fabricated rail, staggered stitch welded flat ground on one upper side for the flange, didn't need to waste time, energy and grinding wheels rounding both sides as I'll never wear it out.

Chris
in New Zealand

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Alive and Well....for now

That looks fantastic! I can probably take just this info to a fabricator and they'd be able to make it. There's a guy in our maintenance department here at work that could do that in his sleep. This would be way too big of a government project to do at work though. They don't mind if you bring in like a handle for a lawn mower to weld or something. But a few hundred feet of track would likely be frowned upon. I'll see him Tuesday, maybe his buds down at Cook Bros. can do it all in house. That is some awesome looking stuff you have there. Nice job!

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jdr

Just found the pic I was looking for of the change between real 12lb and the fabricated 10lb rail based on the http://www.trainweb.org/riverview/raildesign.html. I used 1"x3/8" for the Head with 1-1/4"x1/4" Web on a 1-1/2"x1/4" Base. Full weld both sides at the base, stitch both sides under the head, ate an awefull lot of electrodes but a Mig would be better. This stuff is solid as, and would have no problem supporting 1 ton axle loads, maybe more.
I'm sure glad this can be of some help.

Chris
in New Zealand

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Alive and Well....for now

Nice. You eventually power that tram body? Or is that a car? I love your buddy there.

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jdr

Thanks JR for your kind words, that is the completed truck for my composite orecar, here's a shot before riveting and it still needs painting. This has the body of the car on display at Leadville with the frame based on a car used in Montana and the Turntable and Box cradle from cars built at the Fulton Foundry at Virginia City, Nev. The bearing pedestals are pure homegrown NZ goldfields versions and the wheels from the only suitable pattern at our local foundry.
This approach of combining styles of certain builders and geographic locations allowed me to have the parts I wanted without building 3 or more cars. The Leadville car had a turntable hinge that was beyond my shop capabilities to produce without outside help. I also had to design a workable and suitable drawbar coupling to accomodate the Leadville style lever latchfinger as all these cars chosen as prototypes were hand trammed not animal or motor hauled.
And yep, that's my pal. Can't go anywhere without one or three getting in on the act or in the way.

Chris
in New Zealand

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Alive and Well....for now

I like how you used the lag bolts and square washers instead of spikes. Very imaginable! I had to do something similiar to that when i was redoing the track inside and outside of my mine when i ran out of spikes. I was able to makeshift it enough to work for the smaller rail cars and trammer. Ive seen just ordinary nails bent over the flange in the track in a lot of mines out here( including the rail in my mines) and i dont like that. Too sloppy and too unsightly for my taste.
I also ran out of fishplates so i got a bunch of those thick strap-irons the railroads use to use on the old telephone pole lines. I cut these to size, drilled my holes to match the holes in the rails and wala!
For my ties, i just used 4 by 4's and cut them as i needed them. Worked like a charm since im just using the 8# rail.

Could we get some maps of the lines you guys are building? I especially have heard a lot about Chris' tramway, so I am really interested in the track's layout.
also, how is your motor coming, Chris?

Dave,

I'll try to draw you a trackplan, haven't done anything in the shop all this past winter, have been logging trees constantly for 15 months now and my body is a little beat for the time being.

Logging at the bottom of the Incline using a light skyline and traveller to bring the logs to the end of track.
My photostream and a hauling up the Incline, movie.
https://flic.kr/p/qhDe1B

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Alive and Well....for now

looks like you have a ledge cut for extending the right of way.

And that is something I want to do someday. My grandparents have a nice spread of land (40+ acres, IIRC) with some nice stands of trees that Grandpa uses for firewood, and a lot of oak that he uses for his woodworking projects. Right now, we use a tired old Cub Cadet (about 40 years old) and trailer to move the wood around. Credit where credit is due, that thing can PULL. but I would LOVE to have a tramway to move the wood around, like Jack Ozanich's Sandy River and Clear Lake, but not as extensive.

Here you go Dave,

Yellow lines still to be done, I want to get a 90 degree siding into the woodshed/mill(upper centre) using a portable turntable so the cutting deck siding will get a switchback siding into it. That way I can get loads in and out without getting to have to switch the cars around all the time. One timbercar load in puts out 4 of splitwood. Lower fenceline is 180 yards long to give you an idea of size.

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Alive and Well....for now