Railway steel

mengele

We have a few and clean his build with steel railway sleepers. Probably built in the mid 1960s. Were these rails sold second hand or given away for free or generally just purchased new back them when erecting sheds?

blue5000

mengele wrote: »

We have a few and clean his build with steel railway sleepers. Probably built in the mid 1960s. Were these rails sold second hand or given away for free or generally just purchased new back them when erecting sheds?

Usually bought second hand from cie, people from Rathcabbin might not agree with me.
http://raisedbogs.ie/tag/the-stolen-railway/

Water John

A trade developed on the rails being lifted when the rural branches were closed, rails and sleepers.

Bass Reeves

I used rails to make a cattle grid into my house. I got the ones that are similar both side they have no flat side. Two rows of blocks on the flat in the middle, I think the gate is 13' wide. I cased the sides and used bricks to space them which I then removed. Super job trucks loads of stone have come in over it.

I bought the rails directly off CIE in 1992. I had to collect them for somewhere on the Tipp side of Limerick. They even lend me a trailer to bring them home.

MfMan

Concrete railway sleepers now being sold in places also. Make great gate or straining posts, usually 8' lengths, and reinforced through with steel. Very heavy though and you need a loader to position them. Great value at €10.

patsy_mccabe

I used to buy them here in clare, to hang gates. Can't be got anymore it seems. They are now sold to China as scrap. Shame as they are worth their weight in gold. :rolleyes:

emaherx

Every shed built here before 1990 is built with rails instead of RSJ's. My dad worked for GNR and then CIE so he'd an ample supply. There was plenty of sleepers too but these have mostly gone by now. There used to be a couple of old timber body's off rail cars used as hen houses too.

At one stage he had a glass house made out of the old windows from the signal cabin too after they were upgraded to PVC.

My brother works for Irish Rail now but not a hope he'd get access to old rails or sleepers now.

893bet

MfMan wrote: »

Concrete railway sleepers now being sold in places also. Make great gate or straining posts, usually 8' lengths, and reinforced through with steel. Very heavy though and you need a loader to position them. Great value at €10.

Link?

MfMan

893bet wrote: »

Link?

https://www.donedeal.ie/farmersnoticeboard-for-sale/railway-sleepers/24492118?campaign=14

Couple of other ads on DD had them also from time to time. Lad in Ballygar, Co. Galway, had 'em and Divillys hardware, Glenamaddy, also a selection a couple of months ago.

releasevalve

John O,Donnell Hardware near Gort had them
on Facebook yesterday https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2843625822562216&id=1599406513650826&set=pcb.2843626882562110&source=48

mengele

releasevalve wrote: »

John O,Donnell Hardware near Gort had them
on Facebook yesterday https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2843625822562216&id=1599406513650826&set=pcb.2843626882562110&source=48

Could they be got in any length you wanted? Surely a massive pain to drill through??

Justjens

Girders are 45' in length and weigh in at half a ton, but they sag a fair bit when you pick them up in the centre with a loader. Easily cut with a grinder, just take your time, and just as easy to cut and make holes with a torch.

Put up a collecting yard with them 20 years ago and nothing has escaped yet

It was all bullnose that I used.

MfMan

mengele wrote: »

Could they be got in any length you wanted? Surely a massive pain to drill through??

Fixed lengths of c. 8' is all I've seen. You'd need a long drill bit to go all the way through alright, but they do have a few holes cut through for the old retaining bolts at either end. They can be drilled in a bit to hold rawl bolts, just be aware you're not drilling into one of the four reinforcing steel braces.

Apols, if it's not the concrete ones you're talking about.