Hi,
Recently got into my hands a piece of old railroad rail, it has a marking on it - "UNION IX 1879".
I was wondering where it could be made?
Question should have been posted over in the Trains Magazine - General Discussion area.
Union Rolling Mill was a predecessor to Republic Steel Co. (1899) ...Most likely in September 1879 the rail was rolled in Chicago (lesser chance it was the original mill in Cleveland/Youngstown which only produced lighter weight rail by this time)….Only way to know would being able to see the rest of the rail branding (raised letters) or heat numbers stamped into the opposite wide of the rail web.
Some parts of Republic Steel still survive after it went to Joes & Laughlin/ LTV, but the steel rail side of the company was gone shortly before WW1