Do we have Japanese rails here in the USA?

[cjvrr]

Also remember the cost is the largest factor. If a US supplier could meet the specifications for the same price as a foreign competitor, the US supplier would be used.

On a rail project in the US I worked on several years ago we had some rail lengths that came from Czech Republic. How they got mixed in is beyond me.

[Matt Langworthy]

1943 was wartime. Perhaps after the war, damaged rail lines were wholesale replaced in Japan, and the old rail piled up then picked over by Japanese who needed work & shipped the straight pieces to the US for use in branch lines or yards. This is a total guess.

I doubt that happened. Salvageable rail would have been needed to rebuild Japan's transportation network.

World War II was very profitable for American RRs. Even poorer RRs like the Erie had plenty of money to spend on track during and after the war. For example, the LA&L replaced stick rail from 1946 with welded rail roughly a decade ago... and that older rail was made here in the US.

[pumpers]

My comment on the 1943 rail was a "yard rail." The NIPPON rail was a mainline rail. Different sections of track.

Yes, looking back, I confess now I didn't read your first post carefully.

[BR&P]

That is exactly what happened.

You seriously think US railroads have been deferring maintenance? Time to do some homework! Look up "Penn Central" "Rock Island" and anything else about railroading in that era. THAT was deferred maintenance.

[Safetee]

When it comes to deferred maintenance, it is true that many make that most of the big guys main lines are in excellent shape ie extremely safe and viable. But on the lesser lines branches yards etc many short lines, and some of the big guys play the rope a dope FRA compliance game and frequently resort to excepted track status when possible. With excepted track status if your gage is at least 58.25 inches, you're home free. And if resorting to Excepted Track isn't deferred maintenance, then bears do not dance in the woods.

[BR&P]

I have no idea what "rope-a-dope FRA compliance game" means. Excepted track does not make you "home free". And when we speak of railroads deferring maintenance, it's generally in the context of over-all maintenance, not a particular small segment.

[BandA]

I'm confused; what does the 1943 mark mean?

[edbear]

1943 - The year it was manufactured.

[lvrr325]

Perhaps the tariffs on cheap steel that have led to US plant reopenings will lead to more rail made in the US.

The tariffs are on Chinese steel only. Japanese and European steel are not effected.

Well, no, not entirely true, but whatever, at least half a dozen mills have been reopened and Nucor just announced they're going to spend like five billion to build a brand new one in the Midwest someplace.

[nydepot]

$1.35B

Perhaps the tariffs on cheap steel that have led to US plant reopenings will lead to more rail made in the US.

The tariffs are on Chinese steel only. Japanese and European steel are not effected.

Well, no, not entirely true, but whatever, at least half a dozen mills have been reopened and Nucor just announced they're going to spend like five billion to build a brand new one in the Midwest someplace.

[D Alex]

$1.35B

Perhaps the tariffs on cheap steel that have led to US plant reopenings will lead to more rail made in the US.

The tariffs are on Chinese steel only. Japanese and European steel are not effected.

Well, no, not entirely true, but whatever, at least half a dozen mills have been reopened and Nucor just announced they're going to spend like five billion to build a brand new one in the Midwest someplace.

Eh, what do "facts" matter, as long as it sounds good? I'm certain that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be created.......

[BR&P]

Eh, what do "facts" matter, as long as it sounds good? I'm certain that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be created.......

That pegged my sarcasm detector needle. You don't think it's a good thing to see jobs and production returning to the US? Bringing materials in, and finished goods out, has to add up to more rail traffic than containers of goods made overseas. While we will never return to the way things were 70 years ago, seeing a local serving various industries along the way is far more interesting than watching a mile of identical blue or orange boxes blow past in a minute's time.

[rr503]

Eh, what do "facts" matter, as long as it sounds good? I'm certain that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be created.......

That pegged my sarcasm detector needle. You don't think it's a good thing to see jobs and production returning to the US? Bringing materials in, and finished goods out, has to add up to more rail traffic than containers of goods made overseas. While we will never return to the way things were 70 years ago, seeing a local serving various industries along the way is far more interesting than watching a mile of identical blue or orange boxes blow past in a minute's time.

I think what's being lost here is appreciation downstream effects of higher steel costs. Sure, you get more jobs in steel, but the price pressure causes losses elsewhere -- for example, in auto manufacturing, appliances, construction, etc. I think trade action on steel was abs. necessary, but I think it should have focused more narrowly on dumping actions, rather than this more heavy-handed approach.

[lvrr325]

I "whatever"ed the inaccurate facts because it's off topic for the post and the board to discuss the facts of what steel has tariffs on it. The point is mills are being reopened and even built new and that could lead to rail being rolled in the US again.

I didn't bother to double check the price on the steel mill because for the purposes of this board and this discussion it's not worth the effort.