Dakota

I haven't dabbled in a while but I used a " bucket vac" its a small shop vacuum that fits on a 5 gallon bucket. Bought it at home depot ~15 dollars not huge flexible just have to watch how close your inlet is to the heat easily avoidable though

I believe the key is to not get greedy. I wish I could see more crews on the rail to ask them. But they are somewhat rare to see in northern ky. Or maybe it's just me? Either way I don't push the boundary of what's too much. Simply what I can carry in hand or on one shoulder I don't carry a red flyer wagon scouting the tracks

Went foraging on the railroad tracks with my fiancé and picked up my first "anvil" a 3foot piece of rail! Now I can go at all that steel. Plenty of spikes too

And why did one quit such great studies? I too am a geology student I plan to forge a rock hammer.