So, You Have A Piece of Railroad Track

**RayCornett** · August 30th, 2014, 05:42 PM

Do you polish it up and use it as a type of anvil for nib work/shaping or put it out in the yard for decoration?

Today as we finished breaking down my fiances fathers jewelry/lapidary workshop shed that he built himself nearly 35 years ago and under the floor was 2 foot section of railroad track. No explanation as to why it was there. I figured maybe if I polished it up to get all the rust off and smoothed it out it might make a good makeshift anvil of sorts.

Might any of you have other suggestions for pen related work it could be used for?

**Jon Szanto** · August 30th, 2014, 06:47 PM

Ha! Pretty cool dilemma!

Actually, I found a third way, but it's a pretty niche use: I have a section that got buffed and preserved (a bit) with some WD-40 to inhibit the rust, and has seen use for many years as an "anvil" sound effect in the percussion section of our symphony and on recording sessions. My father had found it for me and the only bad part is that it weighs enough that I hate to have to drag it to gigs!

**RayCornett** · September 3rd, 2014, 07:48 PM

There is a Finnish folk band which covers AC/CD's Thunderstruck and the lead singer uses a piece of track in the song

It certainly is heavy. I would say near 20 pounds.

Originally Posted by Jon Szanto

Ha! Pretty cool dilemma!

Actually, I found a third way, but it's a pretty niche use: I have a section that got buffed and preserved (a bit) with some WD-40 to inhibit the rust, and has seen use for many years as an "anvil" sound effect in the percussion section of our symphony and on recording sessions. My father had found it for me and the only bad part is that it weighs enough that I hate to have to drag it to gigs!

**scrivelry** · September 3rd, 2014, 08:45 PM

Oh, keep it and use it for an anvil. Or a paperweight. Or a backdrop for pen photos. Or in photos for, you know, when you do that Kickstarter campaign to fund your own Rail Road...

**johnus** · September 3rd, 2014, 08:53 PM

The piece of track that I have is on the shed's floor, used to stop it from blowing over in a hard wind.

**Ernst Bitterman** · September 4th, 2014, 11:04 AM

I've seen them used as anvils in medieval recreationist armourers' shops. Perhaps a new hobby beckons?

You might be a while grinding it down to to the right dimension/profile for a point burnishing rig... on the other hand, you wouln't need a vice to mount them in:

**RayCornett** · September 5th, 2014, 04:51 PM

This could have been what he used it for. Considering where it was it was in the original small section of shed he built first before adding on 2 new sections with heavy machines.