The Home Machinist!

Sounds like an apication for good old JB Weld epoxy filler.

So you got some envirnmentals using vetitable oil or peanut oil or what for stem oil. Seems like good old steam oil mixed with some coal ashes would not taste good to the squirels, or have they banned coal out there also?

Rob

Just file or sand with a belt sander along the rail. I once rode on a track that was run over by a landscaper's mower. OUCH. The guy just beltsanded most of the marks out and you couldn't tell it ever happened.

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Bruce Mowbray
Springville & Southern RR
TMB Manufacturing & Locomotive Works

Have you tried using a handheld bar code scanner on the rail? Maybe the local rodent population is trying to tell you something?

dont know about squirrels but if cat jumps up on computer one more time well see about voltage jump!! old sucker. If you do want to fry your wildlife then I hope that there are no electronics on the given site?? ay least dissconnect them before getting a fried snack.if you are into that. hear it taste preatty good.! could you also spread some repellant, what the hell do squirrels not like to eat??? well good luck let us know.someone else might need this info JWC TX

Hello everyone, thanks for the ideas. The light sanding might help in some spots, but like Steve said there are a couple of places that are pretty deep. I'm hesitant to use some sort of bait since we have a couple of club cats, which don't care about squirrels only rats and mice and the occasional skunk. After this weekends meet I will try to sand a few places and see what happens.

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John DeRosa
1" Track Co-Foreman LALS

Ya,Ok. Careful with the rat poison around cats. Cats eat slow and staggering mice and could easily take a drunken squirrel, to the effect that they become poisoned by the animal they ate. I have seen one farm wipe out the whole Pride of barn cats in a single month that way.

Welding is not a good idea, in that 6061 aluminum that the rail is, is not only alloy but treated to t-6 hardness. Welding will locally wipe out that hardness.

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Big Dave

Be Alert! The world needs more Lerts.

Thanks for the ideas. I was there on Sunday, and the conclusion is the bait the squirrels and replace the rail. Period. The club has a lot of used rail, so welding, filing, and sanding is not the option. We have tried cayanne pepper also with no results. I personnaly derailed very well on the inner loop due to all of the cuts in the track.

If it was up to me, a day with the pellet rifle would cure the problem....

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C.P. Mahony
One Inch Foreman
LALS

OK, I just got ask the big question! Just what is bing put on the track? Are any of members using some form of vegitable oils (like cannola oil used that often used as green machining oil) insted of steam oil which the squirls might like the tates of? Also is the use of coal getting restrctive to the point where there not much coal ash getting left behand as well?

Rob

You know, guns are tools, and this is a perfect application for their use.

I don't know if it works or not, but I have seen a product out there that is *suppose* to get rid of squirrels. I think it probably has something like red pepper in it as well. Dn't know, but you might see. I have 2 ultrasonic pest control devices that doesn't do squat on mice and rats. I would be willing to give them to you if you want them.

Fred

John and Chris,
I just ordered some pepper spray concentrate to use on my avocado tree to keep the squirrels from eating the avocado's. I will bring some to the track when I get it if you want to try it out.
Bill

Let us know if it works if you would Bill.
Thanks
Fred