Old railroad question?

Question

is there anything worth money on old railroads

like spikes

Answer 1

scrap iron is about $70.00 to $80.00 a ton right now if you have a lot of old spikes.

Answer 2

There are collectors of railroad memorabilia but it is illegal to take such items without the permission the railroad company.  Now there are rare circumstances where there could be an old railroad spur that is now on private property so in that case just make sure you get permission from the owner of that property.

Answer 3

The railroads salvage all things of value when changing out ties, rail, etc.

Many have turned old spikes into objects d'art, paper weights, etc.

Technically it is thievery to remove any objects from the property, but it is unlikely you'll be prosecuted for a penny's worth of metal.  

Trespassing is another story.  Contrary to popular opinion, not all railroad property is secured and much of the right of way is through "public domain," such as along waterways and such.  In these areas the public has a right to occupy railroad right of way.  But, if fenced and posted, you will be arrested for trespassing.

Where I live, the right of way provides access to the fisheries of the upper Sacramento River, as well as the fabulous "Mossbrae Falls," which is public domain.  Here the right of way is posted "Use at you own risk."  But, the public can come and go as they please even though on Union Pacific railroad property.

But, the right of way is a dangerous place and the many hazards are not always easily recognizable as such.

Answer 4

There really isn't anything on the ground, such as track components, that has a value beyond the price of scrap. I see on E-bay sometimes that people make the mistake of identifying spikes from 1880, for example. The person selling knows that's when the railroad was built, and assumes that the items he has found are that old. But track components are replaced all the time and it would be hard to find anything truly that old. The point is, with out knowing how old it really is, it just has scrap value.

Answer 5

No, and I agree with your first answer.  It is private property and you can be charged with theft.  My cousin spent 2 years in jail for stealing copper wire from the railroad lines.   Even if the railroad is abandoned, it is still private property.