Just wondering if CPR rail from 1889 (date on side of the rail section) would make a worth while anvil. It is partly submerged in a tidal river and can only gain safe access during low tide. Don't want to drag a torch down there to cut a chunk off it is crappy metal etcc

Welcome aboard Nathan glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.

1889 rail is probably steel but I suppose could be wrought. How long are the pieces? Any chance of getting a chain or cable on one and dragging it out from a safe distance with a vehicle? Playing with the tide is probably a LOT safer where you are, here it runs about 30' on average and the flats are dangerous on an incoming tide the mud turns to quick sand with the rising water.

Frosty The Lucky.

Demo saw with an abrasive blade would also make short work of cutting that up. Easier to haul around.

If you don't have a demo saw, a 18-20v lithium ion battery powered angle grinder with a couple of cutoff wheels and a 4# engineering hammer would probably also do the trick.  Score/cut it where you can with the cutoff wheel and then a few good whacks with the hammer should break it off into manageable sections nicely.   That looks like smaller size track assuming the font is about .75 - 1" high and the timber next to it is roughly 8x8.

The conversion from production of iron to steel rails started in the late 1850's so if it's marked 1889 it's likely steel.

Would be worth dragging out either way

My rental center rents the 14" gas demo saws for about $45 for a half day. Just make sure you get the abrasive blades for gas saws vs the ones for standard electric chop saws. The gas saw runs at a higher RPM and the electric saw blades aren't designed for this high an RPM and the fly apart almost immediately when you spin them up to speed on a gas saw. Price for the blades is pretty much the same, so I buy only blades for my gas saw and use them in both my demo saw, and my 3 electric chop saws.

Good Morning, Nathan

Welcome, fill in your location in your Avatar. There are members here from many, many corners of this Rock, probably very close to you.

On the side of the rail, is a production date and a weight (75 lbs., 90lbs., or whatever). The weight is the weight of the rail "per YARD". Rail comes in 10 YARD sections.

Welcome, from my side of the ROCK.

Neil

Shovel, budy with a 4x and a long day.