Recycling Railroad Spikes?

[TNLily]

So today my husband was fixing a mail box at one of our rentals by the railroad tracks. I'm killing time by walking along the tracks looking for treasures. I happened to pick up a couple of railroad spikes and thought Hmmmmm these are neat what can I do with them? My husband finished working and we went home. Our neighbor greets us with a ton of excitement (he's big into scrapping) he says "Hey did you know steel is up to 200.00 a ton?" Of course we're thinking no way. Then we look at each other and thought, How many railroad spikes would it take to make a ton? We weighed out the few I brought home and did the math aproximately 4000!!
So our question is, Is it legal to collect these things and scrap them? They're laying everywhere along the tracks! We'd ask our neighbor but certainly don't want to give up a prospective treasure trove of steel.
What do you think?

 

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[TNLily]

I was thinking it could bring trouble.
Guess that's why there all still there!

 

[lumbercamp]

I'd be very carefull about taking anything along the tracks. A guy got in trouble here for taking the plates that the rails were attached to when they tore the tracks up. There's copper wire laying along the tracks as we speak. Even though I collect scrap, I'm not even tempted to take it.

 

[TNLily]

People around here are stealing siding off of buildings. Man hole covers. There have even been murders connected with scraping around here. It's crazy!
I'm told you now have to show ID at the scrap yard even.
Yeah, we'll leave the spikes where they lay. Not into breaking the law. It's a shame though.....I could use the exercise and it's money just laying around.
Thanks for the insight on the subject.

 

[whoknows52]

finders keepers!!!!

 

[aa battery]

Here in Ca.scrap yards wont take any spikes,plates or sections of rail.

 

[Rumblebelly]

if you really want to scrap steel, go around on garbage day and throw the steel in the back of your truck. Alot of people do that here. @$200.00 a ton I'm tempted to myself, plus all of the other scrap metal you would find

 

[MDING TOM]

I though of this here in Michigan and contracted the local railroad company. They reply real nice n said that they couldn't allow people to pick up the scrap along the tracks due to a safety haz. I even offer to work for them (checking the plates, cross beams, n spikes) as i was picking up the scrap n they still say no. So i agree with everyone else n say it's not worth getting into trouble, but u could always contract your local railroad company and ask them if they would allow it or not.

tom

 

[JimmyT]

Hello, As a retired railroader with 32 years there I can tell you that the taking of any railroad property without WRITTEN permission is a bad idea.
The scrap yards are (according to law) supposed to report any scrap from the RR to the local police giving them your information and since 9/11 I wouldn't want to be on that list.
My best advice would leave it where it lays because most of the time it was placed there in case repairs are needed. Every once and awhile a work train will come equipped with cranes to pick up the old parts. Even those bent spikes are sent back to the shops to be straighten for later use. The RR don't throw anything away.

Hope this helps