welding old railway line

lakill Farm

The lad who owned our pace before us put in an old railway line as a gate hanger with gate either side. Works a treat except for this.

Once the cold weather comes one gate falls off as the gate ring holder thingy :rolleyes: falls off th railway line. And its the side were the train crosses so cant se the galvanise gate holders like on rsj.

Dad saidits probably because the 2 metals contract at different temperatures and it breaks the weld. I weldeditin spring 2010 and sprng 2011 with an arc welder and it was perfect till the cold patch

What way can i weld this so ican put back the gate? is it a different type weldng rod? i use 2.5 and 3.2 depending on distance from welding point in shed and metal type and i always clean back the steel with the grinder for a clean welding surface

Muckit

Would a clamp like this work? Or make something like like it?

lakill Farm

:rolleyes:

Muckit wrote: »

Would a clamp like this work? Or make something like like it?

Ye something like that might work, i guess i will have to see if the 2 gates are hanging at the same height, which i think they are :rolleyes:.

What makes it worse it the stell is buried in readymix, and there could be 3 meters of cement in the hole. He use to have access to the odd load of readymix

Figerty

there is a proper mounting bracket you can buy off the shelf for the railway tracks. I have them on mine and an great job. they are slightly different to the RSJ mounting brackets as they are more rounded to suit the profile.

The reason the welding isn't working is that the steel in the track is a higher grade than the welding rod and the different properties mean that it will fail, partly because of the contraction, but it's more to do with an improper weld.

If you are going to weld them, use the 29/9 welding rods. This should elimiante the problem for you.

The bolt on brackets are the better job.
http://www.mullinahonecoop.ie/catalog/partlist.aspx?CategoryID=333

lakill Farm

Fair play Figerty, i never even knew there was a specially designed gate hanged for railway lines. To be honest because of the problem with the weld, i was even thinking of pulling up the one in place but you have now given me 2 options of a easy fix.

Ill order a few in the hardware tomorrow.

Figerty wrote: »

there is a proper mounting bracket you can buy off the shelf for the railway tracks. I have them on mine and an great job. they are slightly different to the RSJ mounting brackets as they are more rounded to suit the profile.

The reason the welding isn't working is that the steel in the track is a higher grade than the welding rod and the different properties mean that it will fail, partly because of the contraction, but it's more to do with an improper weld.

If you are going to weld them, use the 29/9 welding rods. This should elimiante the problem for you.

The bolt on brackets are the better job.
http://www.mullinahonecoop.ie/catalog/partlist.aspx?CategoryID=333

Figerty

No problem.

Don't pull up the railway tracks,. they will last generations....plus the contractors don't like hitting them! They tend to be a bit more carefull than with block piers!

The brackets are easily adjusted for height also rather than the weld. Just be sure to order a bottom and a top. They are different.

lakill Farm

Thanks, I presume there like the rsj ones. The bottom one is blanked across so the gate is kept proud.

No it will definitely stay in the ground now.

Figerty wrote: »

No problem.

Don't pull up the railway tracks,. they will last generations....plus the contractors don't like hitting them! They tend to be a bit more carefull than with block piers!

The brackets are easily adjusted for height also rather than the weld. Just be sure to order a bottom and a top. They are different.

lakill Farm

Well on monday i ordered the 2 gate clamps from mullinahone and they arrived wednesday in the post and i clamped it onto the railway line yesterday. A great job. The cost €5.75 each per clamp and €8 post. Pity the 2 local co-ops didnt believe me they existed and save me the €8

Thanks again

pakalasa

Lakill,

Will those brackets work on the short thick side of the railway girder or the wider thinner side?

lakill Farm

on the short thick side (ie the side the trail wheels are on) They work the exact same as the ones designed for rsj (which i say would work on the thinner side (ie the side that rests on the railway sleeper)

pakalasa wrote: »

Lakill,

Will those brackets work on the short thick side of the railway girder or the wider thinner side?