sstreckfuss

I can verify that railroads do themite weld rail sections together (at least the one I work for does). We have boxes of it at work. There is a chapter im my 1942 edition of Machinerys Handbook labeled "Thermite Welding" but I haven't actually read it, I just noted its existance and since it is at work right now I can't reference it. I guess if you have any other questions that are left unanswered in this post come Tuesday I can talk to some people at work who do it and get specific answers.

I forgot to post this sorry. Metrolink train axles are cut from a blank that is 79" long and 6" in diameter. The final axle varies in diameter at various points from 6" to 4" at its smallest and these variances are dependant on if it is a drive axle or rolling axle. The steel used is "Aircraft Quality AISI - 4130 H.R. with maximum 3.0 p.p.m. Hydrogen. Scott

I picked mine up at an auction for $120 out the door, i figured for a buck a pound I couldn't do wrong. It should work fine for me to learn on, I was thinking I might just sleave the hardy so standard 1" tools fit nice and snug..

Pics of my 110lb anvil

I can find no markings on it although the body is covered with a heavy layer of black paint. I bought it at auction, maybe I should snap some pics...

My anvil has 2 rectangular hardys they are dimensioned at 1" x 1 1/8" and 1" x 7/8". Is this unusual? The hardys I have seen online for sale are listed as square and I was thinking about purchasing a couple. I just wanted to see if this would be a problem or if this is normal.

We "true" the train tires every 50,000 miles on a giant lathe that the train drives onto. Takes one man about an 8 hour shift to get them back true. At approximately every 300,000 miles we remove the axle assemblies, cut the tires off and press new ones on. The track on the other hand has never been replaced in the ~15 year operation of the Metrolink. Its surface does periodically get ground and reprofiled but that is not very often only when we get reports of problems witht the train losing center of track, and usually only in problem sections.

I will get you dimensions.

I am citing the Arema (The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association) 2007 document, Part 2 "manufacture of Rail" Here is a link to what the huge 4 binder set it came from looks like.

My document shows the following breakdown for grades: SS = standard strength (brinell 310) HH = Head Hardened (brinell 370) LA = Low Alloy Standard Strength (brinell 310) IH = Low Alloy Intermediate (brinell 325) LH = Low Alloy Head Hardened (brinell 370) The (I) should indicate the grade perhaps (I) is a standard strength Intermediate flavor that my document doesn't mention. If so then the other numbers fit in the formula /layout correctly as heat number (360) and rail letter of ®. If my guess is correct then it is a standard strength intermediate hardness (brinell 325) chunk of rail. My document lists the 2003 standard so who knows what was going on previous that.

I don't have a lot of time but I will drop this down with an update to follow. Standard rail steel: .74 to.86% Carbon, .75 to 1.25% Manganese, .10 to .60% Silicon Minimum Brinell (of unhardened surface) 310 or 370 dependant of grade ordered. Low Alloy Rail Steel .72 to .82% Carbon, .80 to 1.10% Manganese, .25 to .40& Chromium, .10 to .50% Silicon Minimum Brinell (of unhardened surface) 310, 325, or 370 dependant of grade ordered. I have ALOT more information regarding it, I have the whole "manufacture of rail" procurement document from the shop so is you want tensile strengths and such just let me know. I also have the guide on how to decifer the stamping on the side of rail to tell you which variety you have :)

I have personally never seen it but this might help you. Quoted from "The Art Of Blacksmithing" "It was soft, yet tough. For instance, it could be bent double without breaking. Indeed, many farriers in the old days tested horeshoe nails by bending them across the forehead to determine softness." "As with wood, pure iron had a sort of grain, a fibrous quality due to silica content, which influenced the method by which it was worked. These fibers became quite apparent when examining old pieces of wrought iron that had been exposed to the elements, or buried in some ancient warriors grave. These fibers may also be seen at the end of an iron rod which has been worked at too low a heat for the force of the hammerblows seperate them until the iron resembles the frayed end of a wooled tread. Making too sharp a bend , even when hot, weakens the fibers, so that old pieces have rounded corners where bent, and old anvils had a section of a corner rounded for forming bends." There is more regarding it from the book but my fingers are tired. :D

I work on Light Rail, like the downtown metrolink trains, I do occassionally get access to things like train axles, although we don't have a high failure on that item, they get reused after a million mile overhaul but sometimes things go wrong and we throw them out to the recycler for pennies on the dollar. Officially the best I coud do would be to let someone know when one was put into the Grossmann recycle bin out back, maybe Grossmann would sell it to you for scrap costs, although they are HEAVY, not sure the weight but it would take at least 3-4 strong men to load one into a pickup truck.

I work for the railroad (light rail in St. Louis) I will ask around about the grade of steel. The stuff is hard though, trust me, it is designed for the tire of the train to wear, the tire is the consumable and it isn't exactly soft its aviation grade something, something, I have/had the tire grade listed in a chart somewhere in the office...

Ozark School is literally an hour and half dive from my house, the 5 day long curriculum is my only problem. Getting away from the wife and kid for 5 consecutive days so far has not been possible. I am just waiting for the right time...

I've never attended a Blacksmithing event of any sort to be honest, I'd feel like a poser if I didn't at least have a forge. My list of things to do: 1) Get a Forge 2) Get involved with BAM. 3) Attend the Ozark School of Blacksmithing. 4) Attend Quad-State. 5) Attend a Seminar at Ozark Knife Makers. Although not necessaroily in that order. It all depends on time.

Well met all, I have been lurking and reading for nearly 3 years now on various forums/sites and what not. I think this year will be the "year of the forge" for me. :cool: I think gas is the most appropriate for my situation, mounted to a hand cart should be ideal. I still haven't decided on whether to build or buy, its not a skill issue so much as a time issue. I don't want to spend the next 6 months fiddling with building a forge, I want to fiddle with using a forge. :)

My name is Scott Streckfuss and I want to blacksmith. I like to play with steel. I enjoy cutting. grinding, and welding it back together so it seems to me that smithing should be the next step. I own a MIG, cutting tools, grinding tools, an anvil, tongs and hammers yet I have no forge. I am a new father, I have little spare time, and I live in the suburbs. I find these things problematic to my desire to blacksmith but I refuse to let them stop me. Thats me and my situation in a nutshell. Hello :D