European railroad rail

[eglide88]

Can it be made into Damascus steel for tooling, chisels and other cutting tools?
I have a chance to get about 10 feet of it and was wondering is it worth it.

[kbs2244]

If it is like US rail, it has different "layers" of steel.
The very top is hard to be wear resistant
While the lower part is softer for bendability

[USMCPOP]

Damascus steel? Are you cutting strips and forge welding in other strips to make patterned steel?

I don't know about European rail steel, but American steel in the modern age is medium high carbon. Here's what what one re-manufacturer says of used rail steel:

https://jssteel.com/our-rail-steel-p...-steel-angles/

Strong but tough stuff, about like 1065. No way they could afford to layer steel given the vast amounts used.

It's not "tool steel", but you could use it to make an axe or a chisel.

[USMCPOP]

Here's some various rail steel from various countries:

https://www.jfe-steel.co.jp/en/produ...og/d1e-001.pdf

[Lew Hartswick]

I wonder about this "strip on the top" in view of this cross section of a piece from a curve. Taken from the curve just above Harrisburg Pa where the line goes from following the river to the bridge across it .
...lew...

[USMCPOP]

Some rails are head-hardened to a depth. Worn rails can get to looking funny.

[Raspvtin]

If its for damascus cut a sliver heat treat it and see how well it hardens. The main issue with rail to look out for is cracks and stress fractures when forging as they can be usable for rail with micro fractures but not so much for forging.

I'm assuming these are relatively modern post 1900 rails as with european rails it is possible for them to be old enough to be wrought iron where as its much more rare to find US rails that old.