Bob,
I guess i should have clarified about the RR track. I like seeing it on the abandoned rail bed, I don't like packing it around. It's just a sign that the rail bed itself hasn't been picked.
We have hundreds of miles of abandoned bed in the west that has fallen back to state, federal or private hands so old spikes
and bolts are easy to come by if you want to do a little walking or a ride on the atv. I'm very aware of who currently owns each stretch or area that I pick. I have permission from several state and private groups to hand pick iron in certain areas, and I even get a random call now and then to go move a pile. I stockpile wrought, and usable amounts of steel stock and scrap the rest.....which usually results in a trade out of wrought iron that I find at the yard.
As for the RR police, they don't bother with us much out here as long as we don't drive drunk down the tracks. That's frowned on for some reason.
Again, a little research will net you some nice stuff, and connect you with people who are in the know, which can snowball into MORE IRON!. It makes it a little easier when you're upfront about what you're after and why. I definitely don't condone dressing up in Ninja/blacksmith gear and running around stealing iron.