Can someone give me an idea of what heavy RR scrap (rail, spikes, plates, etc.) is going for now? I know the price is up substantially, just wondering about what it is selling for now.

We are getting around $65/ton right now.Jim

Two large scrap yards in Denver, Colorado are quoting as much as $80 per ton for clean steel and iron. They tell us that pieces up to 5-ft. in length and up to 18" across are the maximum size for this price. You may want to invest in a cutting torch and gas.A friend in the shipbuilding business in Pascagoula Mississippi says he's been busy clearing junk out of his property recently. Says the Chinese are what's driving the rising prices.Stan Underwood

Yes the prices are being driven by the Chinese market but there is more too it than just scrap price. Our own scrap market and that includes dealers and processors are be driven out of the market. The Chinese scrap buyers are subsidized in that the Chinese government pays a 5% premium so that our own buyers and processors can not compete.

Scrap prices vary greatly depending on many factors, including the amount of material being offered, proximity to market, amount of sorting or preparation the buyer will have to do, etc. We have not sold any metal this year so I do not have a good feel for current pricing. Our dealer usually gives us a premium on rail, especially if it is suitable for re-roll. Relay rail prices have shot up to the point that we are not buying any rail for installation this year. Some of the more popular heavy sections are being offered in the $500 to $600 net ton range, more than double where they were about two years ago.Alan Maples

145 to 165 per ton for OTM and preped. I've got as much as 210 per ton for unpreped rail for reroll. Right now it's 165. These prices are accurate as of today.