On a former Northern Pacific branch I noticed some 112 pound rail and tie plates dated 1942 and 43. Some of the rail was milled in Illinois (wonder where the mill was?). Obviously not all steel production went to building ships and tanks for the war. Did the War Production Board allow RR’s to buy a huge amount of new rail during the war for war-related traffic. Would seem they did. PS. I have heard that war time scrap metal drives were largely symbolic. Shame that some steamers were scrapped in those drives for nothing really.