I see an anvil in the creek

[tamrock]

Couple days ago I took a walk along the local creek. Last winter I saw this maybe 3 foot section of rail sticking out of bank of the creek. No telling how much is buried into the bank?. I've seen short 6 to 8 inch sections of rail at the flea market sell in the $35.00 to $45.00 range and they always move. I've attached a photo of one fashioned into a nicely finish anvil and the best looking ones similar to this one I'm showing, sell in the $150.00 to just over $200.00 on eBay.
This old rail in the creek is most likely from the early rail services that were once in and around the various old coal mines that was a part of the past in the county I live. These coal mines pretty much ended in the 1950's

 

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[aa battery]

heavy find

 

[aa battery]

time to get hammered.

 

[RustyGold]

Beating out knives or making jewelry. Anvils are awesome. Great score!

 

[1637]

cool find,most rails have dates on them,looks like you have a lot of anvils there.good luck.
brad

 

[63bkpkr]

Does the name of the creek happen to be Anvil Creek?

I own a small section of rail taken from an ore car track at a hard rock mining operation in NorCal and I simply would NOT sell it! So, yes sections of full size rail would sell nicely at flea markets and such events as there will be those folks out there that understand the usefulness of that item. However Depending on the length of the rail sticking out of the creek bank, it could be a real bugger to get it out as they simply are heavy. At a minimum the 8,000 lb pull strength Harbor Freight cable hoist would be required. Even then if the rail is full length, what 30', dang its gonna be heavy? Be careful of your back and other body parts with this adventure!...................63bkpkr

 

[tamrock]

Does the name of the creek happen to be Anvil Creek?

I own a small section of rail taken from an ore car track at a hard rock mining operation in NorCal and I simply would NOT sell it! So, yes sections of full size rail would sell nicely at flea markets and such events as there will be those folks out there that understand the usefulness of that item. However Depending on the length of the rail sticking out of the creek bank, it could be a real bugger to get it out as they simply are heavy. At a minimum the 8,000 lb pull strength Harbor Freight cable hoist would be required. Even then if the rail is full length, what 30', dang its gonna be heavy? Be careful of your back and other body parts with this adventure!...................63bkpkr

Yeah, it's pretty well stuck. In the mine I worked we had these hammers we called cold cuts. The guys on the track crew could cut a 45# rail with it. One guy would hold the cold cut chisel end on the top of the rail and another fella would hit the other end of that cold cut hammer with an 8# sledgehammer, which we call a double jack. This rail in the creek is same size of rail we had in the mine. I helped on the track crew once. It was when I first went to work there. As new hire they put you to work digging out with a shovel, which they called a muck stick and Mexicans simply called a polo, these drainage ditches called the piss ditch. Those ditches were full of heavy sloppy soupy mud. Some track crew fella came by and said he wants a couple volunteers. Me thinking it's gotta be a better job than digging a piss ditch said I'll go. They put me and this other new hire humping big full heavy acetylene tanks on our shoulders from one end of the drift to the other. I wasn't all that acclimated to the 11'000 foot altitude being a 21 year old dumb boy from Iowa and I learned very quick how to respond to anyone coming around looking for volunteers ever again. Even when they ask in church they're short on volunteers I think Yeah! Though yesterday I volunteered getting food set up for all the other volunteers serving the Christmas services this year. That was easy.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Reminds me of the old days. There were still narrow guage and ore cart rails all over the Colorado mountains. I think theyve all walked off now. Back in the days where you could still explore open mines, before the gubbmint blasted everything closed (probably for the best)

 

[WannaDig3687]

I like how you share your life stories in this forum. It's enlightening.

 

[A2coins]

cool find be careful pulling that big ol thing outta there!!!!!!

 

[Goldfinger450]

Railroad axles are sure some good steel, use to anneal big hunks in a 1000lb gas burnout oven I had. Rail track is 1080 steel for the most part, The anvil posted looks very good, I tend to like Old Anvils for knife making, a Peter wright is my favorite ringer so far, 245lbs, Trades an .45 for it, Darn Collectors have driven anvil prices to ridiculous levels.