Scrapping Kinda Sucks

RacinDuallie said:
How would you tackle miles and miles of abandoned railroad tracks? Lol. And im mean MILES of it.
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As Mixed said, don't think most yards would take it. Certain things are hard to scrap, maybe a bit here n there but deff not in high quantity. Unless you had some kind of approval or w/e. We got plenty laying round here as well.

Guy i know has a bit he got from his bro that got it from a farm(very old piece) and I'm gonna take some, to use as kinda an anvil but nothing fancy like in the vid.


 
AutomaticWeapon said:
Big gas powered chop saw.
Cut the track in 3' lengths.

My back would be pissed!
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We had to demo just under a mile of track.....it was not cost-effective, and we were lopping them in 28' lengths.
 
ratssass said:
We had to demo just under a mile of track.....it was not cost-effective, and we were lopping them in 28' lengths.
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The yard by me only accepts I Beams in 3' lengths. I believe rr track would be classified as I beams. $237/ton.

How much weight did you have?
 
I have some brass and copper to process/recycle......
 
AutomaticWeapon said:
The yard by me only accepts I Beams in 3' lengths. I believe rr track would be classified as I beams. $237/ton.

How much weight did you have?
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I can't break it down, all metals from the project went out over the course of a week, but I know about 16 of us got almost $1700 each. The short termers got lesser amounts, and we had a pretty good cookout for 30-40 people.
I know when all was said and done, between blades/labor, it probably would have cheaper to lease the shear they talked about....lol
 
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Key Takeaways on Rail Weight
  • Steel Rail Only: Just the steel rails alone (115-147 lbs per yard) for one mile (both sides) weighs between 202,400 lbs and 258,720 lbs.

From Google, take it for what it's worth..
I split the difference and came up with 112 tons.
$27,000 scrap value at $237/per if I did it right.
Pretty damn nice payday for a week's work. (y)

Haha, anyone know where I can get some rr track? 🥸
 
AutomaticWeapon said:
Key Takeaways on Rail Weight
  • Steel Rail Only: Just the steel rails alone (115-147 lbs per yard) for one mile (both sides) weighs between 202,400 lbs and 258,720 lbs.

From Google, take it for what it's worth..
I split the difference and came up with 112 tons.
$27,000 scrap value at $237/per if I did it right.
Pretty damn nice payday for a week's work. (y)

Haha, anyone know where I can get some rr track? 🥸
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The track was just part of a 6-7 yr project. A lot of dumpsters went out.
 
The track is actually molded with lb/ft. every so many feet.
 
AutomaticWeapon said:
How hard was it to get a scrap permit for the rr track? Do you know?
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Basically how i understand it as "official legal scrap for BIG business/government type items", you work for the RR(have proof) and the scrap you take in also gets paid to the RR(check to CO of official place, not paid directly form scrap place). Like if i owned or worked for a fence CO and brought in a trailer of scrap fencing(can prove it or have the paper work). [Work for a CO that is hired by the RR or whoever runs that stuff(government) and can prove it's legit scrap]

It's like cats, can't just walk in anymore and get cash, they want to take all your info and sometimes mail you a check. So many thieves. Of the two yards I've gone to recently, one don't take cats. The other that i just tried idk but i do know, they don't take vehicles any more and that tells me they had past issues(got caught/fined).

Awhile back a family was breaking into a closed GM plant and cutting all the wire out. They got over $70,000 in scrap and only got busted cause they were feuding(some were sneaking in w/o others). Now the yard that they went to, knew or should of knew, with the amount of that type of wire, it was not legit and they got caught up in the bust or w/e I think.

So yah some places may take the RR track but that don't mean down the roads, the cops won't come knocking on your door.

If you get permission, have it in writing.
 
It's like signs, lotta people have a street sign or some type of construction thing in their garage(used for floor boards in a beater). Something they found(often intentionally), who knows if it was something old decommissioned or stolen BUT if they have MANY signs.

So if i had a bit of RR track np BUT if I'm hauling in truckloads of it LOL

Now long ago, some kids i hung out with robbed a place and then pawned the stuff(stupid). Just because you get paid, don't mean they won't turn around and then contact the police right-away either(they went to jail).

Not to mention these days CAMERAS are cheap and everywhere!

Maybe they won't bother if you take some RR track(even on camera) but once you show up on camera a few times loading it up(never underestimate a CO's ability to waste time and money on something they could care less bout, especially the government).

In the old days, the backroads were empty. These days always vehicles and people around here just love to confront you or call the cops on anyone they suspect is doing something wrong. I tried to get a drive-by shot on a CO's long entry drive, no security(I'm sure cameras) and they were closed(nothing worth stealing there either). So not like i was bugging anyone, it was daylight so not trying to hide it. I set up a tripod and wasn't doing any burnouts or anything weird. Some dude driving by stopped and confronted me(I'm in a corvette). I just told him I was making a drive by clip no biggie, ignored him, packed up and left but he still tried to block me in LOL. It could have easily escalated to a shooting, as I'm sure he was armed n looking for trouble.

The amount of board people that want to power trip or get into your business is staggering. See it all the time scrapping as well(YTers have it happen to them lots) but it's expected with the rep scrappers have. If I cared to dress nicer or had a newer truck, it'd prob be less(people are simple minded and ALWAYS judge on appearance, that's why the same cons will always work).

IDK how to get official permission, maybe it's simple or a real pita. Maybe the RR doesn't care or would act like it gold and want a very high cut of the profit. Also once it's official, then of course the government will want their cut LOL
 
AutomaticWeapon said:
How hard was it to get a scrap permit for the rr track? Do you know?
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From that project, I'm guessing it was all handled by Honeywell, O'Brien & Gere, and CSX. On separate deal, a contractor I had worked for demo'ed a spur to a brewery, and dropped off 5, 10-wheeler loads of RR ties for me, and they had a bunch of connecting plates/spikes. I had to get a letterhead from the contractor with the contract numbers etc. before the yard would take them.
 
Be a scraper they said, it'll be fun they said LOL

Go to meet a dude at noon, nobody home. 5th dude to say he has scrap come back and nada, only the lady has come thru so far. Prob no more dudes that want me to come back another day.

Go home n load up, might as well run in some shred. Get paid $90($180 ton), hmm thought i red it went up. Got home called another yard and yup they at $210(read $225 but late in the day and most yards not answering, I'll ask the yard i was going to next week). So i call the yard i was just ask wondering if it was a mistake. Recognized dude voice(guy that just paid me), umm think it's $180-200.

Saved $2 in fuel to loose $15 at a lower rate But I grabbed an Alum scooter and power wheels batt on the way home, few bucks of scrap.

Think I'll go back the other yard and just use that place for rotors, if i feel like weighting them and adding it up before.

[edit] Otherwise a pretty good week, 8 loads I dragged home(2 small but other 6 good). Got some decent nonferrous :) Last(took in 4 loads of shred, most my winter stash) n this week kicked my butt.
 
@BOOT and others in Michigan.

I read a post on scrapping FB group last night. If you want to scrap cars in Michigan, the title has to be in your name. Guy took a car in and he was told the new law. He had to go to SOS office to transfer the title before the yard would accept it from him. Factor in the cost/time involved for a title transfer when you're buying cars.
 
AutomaticWeapon said:
@BOOT and others in Michigan.

I read a post on scrapping FB group last night. If you want to scrap cars in Michigan, the title has to be in your name. Guy took a car in and he was told the new law. He had to go to SOS office to transfer the title before the yard would accept it from him. Factor in the cost/time involved for a title transfer when you're buying cars.
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Well tomorrow, I'll ask the yard that i took one last fall and see what they say. If there is a new law. But a quick search says your right. That sucks if true but not the end of the world.

[edit] Just read it's not effective YET! And it's $15 for a scrap title when it does LOL
 
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