'scrap' at preserved railways

[adb968008]

23 hours ago, fezza said:

 

That's one of the oddest things I've seen... 

 

And here's the rub - 45015 has now become a cult locomotive just because there is so little useable left. Personally I would love to see ancosmetic restoration, something where kids could climb in the cab, pull a few levers and enjoy it... We do this with steam locos all the time. 

 

Even that would be expensive but I have travelled passed it so many times it seems like a decrepid friend... One that you never really want to let go. Maybe it's just me... 

 

 

pity it wasnt made before 1945, its value in scrap would be substantially higher and in demand by the science community.
Pre-atomic era metals are quite strong in demand, they’ll even salvage sunken ships for it.

Edited October 25, 2020 by adb968008

[russ p]

12 hours ago, adb968008 said:

 

 

pity it wasnt made before 1945, its value in scrap would be substantially higher and in demand by the science community.
Pre-atomic era metals are quite strong in demand, they’ll even salvage sunken ships for it.

 

I might be wrong but thought the metal had to be under water for it not to absorbed any radiation 

[Richard_A]

14 hours ago, adb968008 said:

 

 

pity it wasnt made before 1945, its value in scrap would be substantially higher and in demand by the science community.
Pre-atomic era metals are quite strong in demand, they’ll even salvage sunken ships for it.

Can I ask why, out of interest? 

Edited October 26, 2020 by rka

[chris p bacon]

10 minutes ago, rka said:

Can I ask why, out of interest? 

 

I understand that kit such as satelites need materials which haven't been subjected to radiation from atomic weaponry  (or something like that) although the idea of a satellite being launched on a couple of Peak bogies would interesting....

[Steven B]

There are several scientific and medical uses for "Low Background steel" - i.e. steel made before the atomic bomb. Generally anything needing to measure radiation require a low radiation environment (i.e. metal case) for best performance. Think geiger counters and the like.

 

Most low-background steel comes from ships sunk prior to WW2. The German WW1 fleet at Scapa Flow is the main source as it's quite shallow and there's plenty of them and there's no issues with associated loss of life.

 

Steven B.

[Northmoor]

3 hours ago, Steven B said:

There are several scientific and medical uses for "Low Background steel" - i.e. steel made before the atomic bomb. Generally anything needing to measure radiation require a low radiation environment (i.e. metal case) for best performance. Think geiger counters and the like.

 

Most low-background steel comes from ships sunk prior to WW2. The German WW1 fleet at Scapa Flow is the main source as it's quite shallow and there's plenty of them and there's no issues with associated loss of life.

 

Steven B.

More specifically, ship sunk before the end of WW2.  As well as the High Seas Fleet, a bunch of scuttled WW2 U-boats were recovered from off Northern Ireland for the same purpose.

[adb968008]

Cancer and other specialist treatments machines require them, both in hospital and research.

 

Theres some great lengths gone to procure them, one institute bought tons of ingots recovered from a roman era ship wreck. Theres stories of churches trading old lead for new lead in windows, and Britains own sunken battle cruisers in south east asia are being salvaged illegally for scrap off the sea bed. Old Bridges in the US have been recycled.

 

Basically metals made after 1945 risk impurities from radiation fallout from the atmosphere, even at very low levels, from the nuclear testing post WW2 during their creation, that makes “noise” that sensitive equipment needs to filter out.

 

When creating radiation sensitive equipment the “radiation purest” metals are required, and the best source is scrap made pre-1945.

Many of our preserved lines have lots of pre1945 scrap in restorations that may not be required..before scrapping a knackered frame or boiler, old track etc, it might be worth checking its age, and contacting various labs, it may be worth more than basic scrap, at very least it could be used for equipment to save lives.

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by adb968008