Oldest Rail Still in Use

I took a better picture of the October 1887 rail:

That rail looks in pretty good shape. Better than a lot of newer rail.

It's going into an engine house, so it's only seen a hundred tons or so, ever. Hehe, "only".

While cleaning out my files, I found a "report" I did on Saving Buffalo. I actually sent it to various officials in Buffalo and Albany. I didn't put a date on it but it was written around 1997. I make referrence to the old rail at the siding into the transfer station that I posted on page 1. The reference to that particular rail and its age is 1881. At that time, +/- 1997, it was still an active siding as I've seen several MOW vehicles on it as well as one hopper car full of ballast.

The siding is no longer in use as a few pieces of rail are missing and I think the 1881 rail is one of them. I have yet to walk back there to check and verify if the rail is there or not.

(keeping on topic)
in regards to older rail such as the examples that the other posts depict, does the FRA or state DOT's have any guidelines or concerns about the age of rails becoming a safety issue???

andre wrote:(keeping on topic)
in regards to older rail such as the examples that the other posts depict, does the FRA or state DOT's have any guidelines or concerns about the age of rails becoming a safety issue???

Can't say that I've seen anything in the books. As long as the FRA or any of the Rail Defect companys like Sperry Rail, Herzog, or HTT don't find anything wrong with the steel then its ok to use. Privateley owned sideings are not subject to Rail inspection to my knowlage by the FRA.

RussNelson wrote:

pumpers wrote:There also is a gravel pit/quarry about halfway between Norfolk and Norwalk, but it is not obvious from aerial photos that they still get service. JS

Hehe. They "sorta" get service. Three hopper cars have been sitting on the east side of the road, where the sidings used to cross the road. VTR replaced a few ties to get them there. On these tracks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/russnelson ... 6528031948

Um, except not. The switch going to that siding has been removed from the main. Pics on my Flickr page.

Rail in Auburn, NY off Columbus Street on the FGLK's old Agway Yard was made in 1918 heres a few pics.

Rail on FGLK's Agway Yard off Columbus Street Auburn, NY

In my prior job as a railroad consultant, I had occasion to walk many miles of track, usually branch lines proposed for sale or abandonment, so I've seen lots of rail of all ages. There is quite a lot of 1920s stuff still out there, not uncommon at all. The 100 ARA-A section photographed above is one of the more common surviving sections. I've also seen a lot of 130 PS ("Pennsylvania Section", the railroad, not the state) from the teens and the 1920s, still in track. In fact, the former PRR Bald Eagle Branch in PA was entirely laid with this rail unti l they replaced it all a decade or so ago, with 132 # CWR.

Rail from before 1910 is quite rare, and Class Is generally will not re-use rail from before about 1935, since it is not "control cooled" (a process that greatly reduces the incidence of rail flaws). But there are many short lines out there with rail from the early part of the 20th Century. Generally, only the heavier sections have survived, since anything less than 85 # per yard simply will not support modern freight cars. Those legendary short lines with 60- or 70-lb. rail are almost entirely gone.

The oldest rail I have ever seen in track was on the Winchester & Western in Bridgeton, NJ. It was an 1887 section of 89.5 # rail (a section I had never heard of), rolled by a mill I had never heard of. And they were running 100-ton cars over it! I was with a group of Swedish track engineers, and they were amazed.

I got my early education in rail sections at Conrail in the 1970s. With all the predecessor railroads, and all the deferred maintenance, Conrail had literally dozens of different sections, each requiring its own joint bars and tie plates. Some of it, like the NYC 105 # "Dudley" section, was very good rail, but because of its odd dimensions, had to use secondhand bars and plates, which meant yard or branch line use only.

Rail life is directly related to the traffic moving over it, and is generally expressed in cumulative millions of gross tons (MGT). On average, rail in North America averages 700 MGT before it is replaced. Of course, curve rail wears out faster, but on low-tonnage tangent track, life is essentially infinite. On a one-MGT (annual) rail line, presumably the rail would last 700 years!

Great information, Nellie!! Thanks!

I saw a lot of diffrent stuff in use over the short amount of time that I had been with Sperry Rail Service. I can't say that I covered a lot of trackaged in the U.S. out side of New York State. The company seemed to like sending me to Canada for some crazy ass reason in which I'll never know why. But needless to say lots of 1920's un up still in use out side of whats in Sakatchewan on many of the current and Ex CN branch lines lots of 60 pound rail from the late 1890's to early teens in use there.

NellieBly wrote:In my prior job as a railroad consultant, I had occasion to walk many miles of track, usually branch lines proposed for sale or abandonment, so I've seen lots of rail of all ages. There is quite a lot of 1920s stuff still out there, not uncommon at all. The 100 ARA-A section photographed above is one of the more common surviving sections. I've also seen a lot of 130 PS ("Pennsylvania Section", the railroad, not the state) from the teens and the 1920s, still in track. In fact, the former PRR Bald Eagle Branch in PA was entirely laid with this rail unti l they replaced it all a decade or so ago, with 132 # CWR.

Rail from before 1910 is quite rare, and Class Is generally will not re-use rail from before about 1935, since it is not "control cooled" (a process that greatly reduces the incidence of rail flaws). But there are many short lines out there with rail from the early part of the 20th Century. Generally, only the heavier sections have survived, since anything less than 85 # per yard simply will not support modern freight cars. Those legendary short lines with 60- or 70-lb. rail are almost entirely gone.

The oldest rail I have ever seen in track was on the Winchester & Western in Bridgeton, NJ. It was an 1887 section of 89.5 # rail (a section I had never heard of), rolled by a mill I had never heard of. And they were running 100-ton cars over it! I was with a group of Swedish track engineers, and they were amazed.

I got my early education in rail sections at Conrail in the 1970s. With all the predecessor railroads, and all the deferred maintenance, Conrail had literally dozens of different sections, each requiring its own joint bars and tie plates. Some of it, like the NYC 105 # "Dudley" section, was very good rail, but because of its odd dimensions, had to use secondhand bars and plates, which meant yard or branch line use only.

Rail life is directly related to the traffic moving over it, and is generally expressed in cumulative millions of gross tons (MGT). On average, rail in North America averages 700 MGT before it is replaced. Of course, curve rail wears out faster, but on low-tonnage tangent track, life is essentially infinite. On a one-MGT (annual) rail line, presumably the rail would last 700 years!

I hate to see a good thread die for as long as this has. I wonder if it might benefit to be moved and/or cross-posted to the general ops/facilities forum?

I have another question for everybody: most of the examples have been from short lines and sidings. What's the oldest track on a 50 MPH+ class one mainline? I'll start with 1969 on the NKP here in NE Ohio, gets a dozen trains daily. Additionally, CSX just took out some 1979 rail on the Water Level.

In New Jersey, I've seen 1955 rail on the NJT Pascack Valley Line.

I think Amtrak has some rail stamped 1952 on the single track though the Hartford, CT station.