Isolated Strip of Railway found inside Wright-Patt AFB

originally posted by: JIMC5499

It could have been a section of track that was used as a test gauge for building their rocket sleds, back in the 50's.

It is not even a section of track.

I just don't get why it is there, there really is no logical reason to have a twenty foot section of rails, used by the railroad historically or as a means of moving something heavy with ease, rocket sleds, etc. and just leaving it there. They are completely rusted throughout. There are no markings from recent use.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I mean this base is filled with all keep kinds of stuff, but not one other piece like these. I have done work on building 20A that is directly south of these tracks and it is connected via two huge i-beams where a crane can transport one thing into the other building, between the two. 20A having huge honey combed concrete sections that are have hallowed out for sound or vibration purposes all the way around the building. They have the most advanced tech in the world on this base, but the rusty tracks are left alone?

a reply to: JediMindTrek

I often go to Picatinny Arsenal here in New Jersey for work and there are miles of abandoned trackage inside the base, many pieces are inside structures embedded in the floors and others abut their golf course next to the cart path.

Sometimes it is just easier to leave it be then tear it out.

Usually the only places where you find rails not attached to main railways is where cranes are in use. Shipyards and places of heavy industry like foundries. Has something to do with distributing heavy loads while lowering resistance to movement in the operation of mobile cranes.

However that pic looks more like a raised concrete platform than any section of rail. It's probably a platform for leaving a standard cargo trailer by truck for loading/unloading. (Some on-the-ground pics at the location would make it more clear though.)

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: JediMindTrek

Why not? They haven't built anything there so why spend the money to tear it up? Hickam has hangers dating to WWII that until the early 2000s had the original ceilings. The only reason they were replaced was because they were cement, and it was crumbling.

Moffett field still has the dirigible hangars from the 1920's or 1930's. Cool stuff.

originally posted by: NavyDoc

Moffett field still has the dirigible hangars from the 1920's or 1930's. Cool stuff.

Good point. Lakehurst in New Jersey does as well and they still use them, just not all for lighter than air ships.

It looks like track to me. I drive trains for Union Pacific and there's one way to solve this for good. Measure the Guage of the rail and post the distance. I'm almost positive it's just abandoned rail line at grade so really no point in removing it. Yeah rail is iron and every three feet weighs 150 pounds, but you can't scrap rail line without a contract from the company that owns it. We see it alot actually. A short line railroad will go out of business and not be able to scrap the rail for whatever reason and it gets left. Being as its on a base that rail belongs to the feds who obviously just don't care to remove it

originally posted by: boomer135
It looks like track to me. I drive trains for Union Pacific and there's one way to solve this for good. Measure the Guage of the rail and post the distance. I'm almost positive it's just abandoned rail line at grade so really no point in removing it. Yeah rail is iron and every three feet weighs 150 pounds, but you can't scrap rail line without a contract from the company that owns it. We see it alot actually. A short line railroad will go out of business and not be able to scrap the rail for whatever reason and it gets left. Being as its on a base that rail belongs to the feds who obviously just don't care to remove it

An entity that is out of business is often settling accounts and taxes, so the property can't be sold. As an aside, some of the planes at the civilian desert boneyards (Mojave and Victorville) are sitting there due to tax liens or other business issues. I'm sure it would be an interesting list of things sitting in warehouses as people and corporations "wage business".

BTW, I suspect the rails are steel and not iron. ;-) I know, people interchange them, much like cement and concrete.

originally posted by: gariac

originally posted by: boomer135
It looks like track to me. I drive trains for Union Pacific and there's one way to solve this for good. Measure the Guage of the rail and post the distance. I'm almost positive it's just abandoned rail line at grade so really no point in removing it. Yeah rail is iron and every three feet weighs 150 pounds, but you can't scrap rail line without a contract from the company that owns it. We see it alot actually. A short line railroad will go out of business and not be able to scrap the rail for whatever reason and it gets left. Being as its on a base that rail belongs to the feds who obviously just don't care to remove it

An entity that is out of business is often settling accounts and taxes, so the property can't be sold. As an aside, some of the planes at the civilian desert boneyards (Mojave and Victorville) are sitting there due to tax liens or other business issues. I'm sure it would be an interesting list of things sitting in warehouses as people and corporations "wage business".

BTW, I suspect the rails are steel and not iron. ;-) I know, people interchange them, much like cement and concrete.

Well I say iron because of that specific rail were talking about. Your correct the new rail, that we need for high speed and heavy movement of today's trains is a high quality concrete alloy. But the rails used in like yards or older class two and three railroads were mostly iron. The mainline rail that we used today is cut in 1/4 mile long sections and then welded together so it's one long continuous piece of rail now. The trains that carry the new rail are pretty unique and allow the new rail to bend in curves.

originally posted by: boomer135

originally posted by: gariac

originally posted by: boomer135
It looks like track to me. I drive trains for Union Pacific and there's one way to solve this for good. Measure the Guage of the rail and post the distance. I'm almost positive it's just abandoned rail line at grade so really no point in removing it. Yeah rail is iron and every three feet weighs 150 pounds, but you can't scrap rail line without a contract from the company that owns it. We see it alot actually. A short line railroad will go out of business and not be able to scrap the rail for whatever reason and it gets left. Being as its on a base that rail belongs to the feds who obviously just don't care to remove it

An entity that is out of business is often settling accounts and taxes, so the property can't be sold. As an aside, some of the planes at the civilian desert boneyards (Mojave and Victorville) are sitting there due to tax liens or other business issues. I'm sure it would be an interesting list of things sitting in warehouses as people and corporations "wage business".

BTW, I suspect the rails are steel and not iron. ;-) I know, people interchange them, much like cement and concrete.

Well I say iron because of that specific rail were talking about. Your correct the new rail, that we need for high speed and heavy movement of today's trains is a high quality concrete alloy. But the rails used in like yards or older class two and three railroads were mostly iron. The mainline rail that we used today is cut in 1/4 mile long sections and then welded together so it's one long continuous piece of rail now. The trains that carry the new rail are pretty unique and allow the new rail to bend in curves.

Actually steel rails have been used a very long time:

In America several of the railway companies began to use steel rails as far back as 1864. In that year the Chicago and Northwestern, the Phila- delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore, and the Old Colony and Newport each laid portions of track with this metal. In the following year the Boston and Albany, the Boston and Providence, the Connecticut River Railroad, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, and the Chicago and Alton each began the use of steel.

Dusty old book

Pretty much plain iron is only used in casting, if at all. Carbon is really cheap. ;-) Pure iron has electronic uses. Transformers for instance, but even there, they have secret sauce. Otherwise, steel rules.

a reply to: gariac

Learn something new everyday!