Where do trains go to die?

Answer 1

sometimes they go back to the manufacturer, and they recycle the drivetrain / trucks , and then cut up the rest for scrap. I'm not sure how much the recycling goes on nowadays, but it used to be a customer, if he had old engines, could trade them in, and have the old trucks, refurbished, installed under the new engines to save money. They're all pretty much the same design, so it is possible to do that, if they're by the same manufacturer. Then the body of the engine gets picked over for parts, and then cut up for scrap metal.
Other cars, like flats, boxcars, tankers, etc. have the same thing happen, they're used and abused until there'd no value left, then they are stripped of parts, usually by the owning railroad, and scrapped out. The rolling stock is rarely recycled , other than the trucks, and if those are too old, they won't be, either.

- The Gremlin Guy -

Answer 2

When old trains or loco's are withdrawn from service, they are usually stored for a number of years incase they are required for further use or are used to supply spare parts to other similar trains. After this they are sold for scrap. Some loco's are aquired by groups to run them on private railways, others go to be cut up. There are several scrap yards in the UK that cut up Trains and Loco's, these are....C F Booths (Rotherham), European Metals Recycling/EMR (Kingsbury), Simms Metals (Nottingham), T J Thompsons (Stockton on Tees). Other companies such as the Harry Needle Railroad Co, and Raxstar etc scrap trains at depots (on site)

Answer 3

If they are beyond repair they go to a salvage company that cuts them up with acetylene torches and the metal goes to a scrap dealer. Many of the major components such as wheels/traction motors/etc. get saved for sale as parts. Believe it or not, it's not common for engines to be scrapped. There are plenty of them sell being used daily that were made in the 1950s. They are pretty durable and relatively easy to upgrade. The freight cars are often rebuilt but now the older ones are being replaced by bigger ones. Those get cut up and the metal sold as scrap. I have some photos in Railroads Illustrated magazine November 2007 issue that shows an old engine being scrapped.


Kent in SD

Answer 4

The scrapyard... like Woodhams at Barry in Wales. That was only when the lines of decommisioned engines were growing faster than the railway companies could scrap them though.

Usually Motive Power Depots have lines of 'Dead Engines' waiting for disposal, some parts either removed or else cannibalised to keep other engines going.

Answer 5

Mostly trains are cannibalised of all the reusable parts..either to the train operating companies who own them or to groups who have bought older Loco's and stock for private use.

When all the reusable parts have gone..then the units,coaches or loco's have to be scrapped...after 1st being cleared of toxic or poisonous remains(asbestos...oils etc).
Then the remains are cut up for scrap and recycled.

Who knows......that coke can might one day have been a express locomotive!
And then again....that coke can you just threw away could one day take you quickly across the country.

Answer 6

The Strategic Reserve

Answer 7

Booth's at Rotherham,there's also a line of loco's you can see being cutup on the Birmingham to Derby Line just outside Burton-on-Trent.

Answer 8

Some go into store, others go to scrap yards like CF booths in Rotherham

Answer 9

The Isle Of Wight.

Answer 10

to the scrap yards where they are stripped down and then recycled, as about 80% of a train can be re-used.