Pulling rails from the ground

If I hire a crane, there will be no money left for me at the end of the day.

I make money because I can solve problems, not because I can go out and hire expensive services.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus10365
Loading thread data ...

Where is the fun in that?

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

We learned several years ago to tip the pear upward so the stem bends a bit. If the stem pops loose from the limb, the pear is ready to be picked. If the stem doesn't pop loose, leave it for another time.

We have tried it on various varieties, including winter pears and it works.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Drahn

)) Yeah well, if I were iggy, I'd just call a crane. ) I'm sure you would since you never do anything but complain

Mike, you're just a child trying to imitate somebody you heard.

Reply to
mogulah

Then quit asking others to solve your problems.

You'd go broke if it weren't for usenet.

Reply to
PrecisionmachinisT

this may be less expensive / quicker if you can rent

formatting link

Reply to
F. George McDuffee

And where is the money, after paying the crane company?

And besides, getting a crane there is a major challenge.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus10365

Cannot possibly be cheaper than a torch

Reply to
Ignoramus10365

If you happen to have a ball joist tool ( See Harbor Freight item 1740 ) you might try using it to pull the spikes. It and a 2 to 4 lb hammer might be able to get the spikes out with a single blow. So you might be able to get the rails free pretty rapidly. Knee pads would be a good thing if you try that.

How long is the stretch of rail you are wanting to pull? If you have a mile or so to pull it would be worth trying several things to see what is fastest.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

I'll never forget the drives from Vista to L.A. At the curve in the road where Ana(imal)heim lies, there were so many orange groves that when the trees were in bloom, you could smell the sweet scent for miles around. I wonder if that's why they called it Orange County... We'd hit that spot and drop all the windows in the car to catch more of it. Just heavenly! I like it so much that I still grow mock orange (Philadelphus Lewisii, IIRC) here to smell the blossoms in the spring.

Orange trees in LoCal were about 12' tall and round. There were maybe

40 or 50 groves in Vista, San Marcos, Fallbrook, and Escondido when I was growing up there. Most of those have been uprooted and planted with TickyTacky houses all in a row. Sickening.

formatting link

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Why? The rail will stabilize it. But it doesn't matter anyway. Once up, you want it moved. It wouldn't be a stable place to start cutting, but you want to cut with it REALLY stable, so it doesn't spring apart, taking a leg/ankle/foot out with it as it shifts.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Thanks, Paul. I'll keep it in mind, but it still doesn't give me a window of time to be vigilant. "WHEN do pears pop?" is the question.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

[ ... ]

Ties used to be soaked in creosote, and tended to resist rotting rather well. It was only with years of exposure to rain and hot sunshine (South Texas) that they would eventually start to rot.

Any idea what a linear pull instead of an upward one might do?

You'll probably have to dig up at least one to find out what the condition is.

Good Luck, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

I suspect that the railroads have (or had) tools which let them pull the spikes "easily". With out having to crawl from tie to tie on your knees.

-- pyotr filipivich "With Age comes Wisdom. Although more often, Age travels alone."

Reply to
pyotr filipivich

All you need is a couple of track jacks and two gandy dancers to go with them.

John

Reply to
John

I suspect that the railroads have (or had) tools which let them

Yeah, but that's if iggy wants to pay for the help like a normal person. Why re-invent the wheel?

Reply to
mogulah

Great question to ask a crane operator, instead of us. It may be easier and cheaper than you think. You don't know if you don't ask.

Reply to
mogulah

Keep in mind that Iggy likely is getting somehing like $0.10/pound for steel. Typical rail is on the order of 40 lbs./ft., or a little less.

Margins are slim. You have to move a lot of steel at very low overhead to make any money.

Reply to
Ed Huntress

The rails are submerged up to the webs, digging out nails is cost prohibitive.

There are some freely laying around disconnected rails and 160 yards of rails with ties submerged to the webs.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus7070

Exactly, no time to putz around, hire expensive services etc.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus7070

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.