Continuous weld rail on spurs?

[Beachbum]

Anybody ever see continuous weld rail on spurs? I don't think I've seen anything but jointed rail. The exception is maybe on a long lead into an industrial area.

Thanks!

 

[lmackattack]

as with everthing... its out there if you look hard for it. IMHO they would be rare to find as most were jointed rails, old and un maintained.

 

[UP2CSX]

Depends on the spur and the timeframe. Some welded rail is now wearing out in mainline use and is being pulled and used for re-lays, like industrial spurs. If the spur was recently built, this is probably the source of the welded rail.

 

[bob]

How do you define "Spur"?

If you mean a small siding to a an industry, probably not, though as in all this stuff I'm sure there's an exception somewhere.

If you mean a more active line off the main track, then yes. I've seen CWR in quite a few Port Facilities, Grain Tracks and the like. As others have mentioned, it would usually be in new construction, within the last 20 years or so.

 

[Beachbum]

How do you define "Spur"?

If you mean a small siding to a an industry, probably not, though as in all this stuff I'm sure there's an exception somewhere.

If you mean a more active line off the main track, then yes. I've seen CWR in quite a few Port Facilities, Grain Tracks and the like.

Yeah, I wasn't clear. I meant a small industrial stub-end siding that would hold from 3 to say 6 cars.

I'm looking for an excuse to lay flex on some longer sidings on a layout. I have Atlas sectional track but I'd rather avoid using a lot of rail joiners, cutting off the funky end ties, etc.

 

[Rico]

I did some work for the Southern Manitoba Railway and was surprised to find CWR on a siding. Must have been done when CNR owned the line, but on a siding??
Sometimes when I contract for the RR's I'm involved in cutting up worn CWR, they rarely reload it in one piece so we cut it into gon lengths. Actually we notch the top and the base, then when cooled the crane snaps it with the mag.
As for your stub track why not lay the flex and just cut a groove across the top to simulate relay rail? I do that on my main track just so I can hear that god old clickety clack.

 

[bob]

I'm looking for an excuse to lay flex on some longer sidings on a layout. I have Atlas sectional track but I'd rather avoid using a lot of rail joiners, cutting off the funky end ties, etc.

Well then use the flex track and cut a notch in the head with a razor saw to represent joints. You could even use ACC to stick on some joint bars you create by cutting up rail joiners if you're really dedicated, or use a piece of styrene etc.

 

[NYC_George]

Unloading ribbon rail is a big project. It comes in 13 car lengths and adjacent tracks have to be shut down while the engine pulls the rail off the cars. I caught the job a few times back in the 70’s. It takes a lot of planning and man power. I doubt they would go through all the trouble for a siding.

NYC_George

 

[UP2CSX]

Interestingly, I just happened on a CSX crew laying a new spur into an industrial park today. It's more than a small spur, since it serves about five plants and there's probably going to be about a mile of track when they're done. What was interesting is that the rail was delivered on 60' foot flatcars and each section was probably 55 feet long. You could see the torch marks where they had obviously been cut into sections from used ribbon rail. They offloaded the sections with a honking big crane and were welding the sections together on site. First time I've seen that but I suppose it's cheaper to weld than drill holes and use joint bars.