B) Weld the rounded parts with a medium soft hardfacing welding rod (stick or wire) and grind off until flat and smooth. A) Leave it as is, mount onto a log (maybe drive a few large nails or spikes to keep it in place) and start pounding away. After a bit of train traffic, the tops become much harder. When rails come from the mill, they are differentially Q&T'd on the tops only. These are different than what the buckets themselves are made of (T-1). Motor grader cutting edges, drowser bars on the cheeks of dozers are also examples of really high strength/wear steels. These manganese steel recipes are designed for impact and wear resistance. But the mill has chemists and knows what they are doing with zillions of $$$ worth of hi-tech equipment to do it with. So, Rail steel is similar to T-1 and AR steels. 5) Yep, the bottom side is softer than the (worn) top side. 4) Unfortunately, they can be a labor of love and time consuming to build. Plus, it's a gonna takes you a one BIG azzed fire to do the job properly. By Q&T, there is the possibility to make it too Brittle. 3) Yes it can be quenched and tempered, but NOT recommended. Typically it is a medium carbon (0.80 max) and Manganese (1.20) steel. 2) All rails are not created equal and are often a proprietary recipe from the owner. 1) IMO they make awesome anvils and can be fabricated to YOUR specific size, weight and configuration. I see a lot of questions and myths about anvils made from Railroad Track.

Something I wrote for a Newbie's Blacksmithing forum.

Railroad track anvil pics