Railway rifle (Fallout 4)

The railway rifle is a weapon in Fallout 4.

Characteristics
Returning from Fallout 3, the railway rifle fires railway spikes as projectiles, in the manner of a crossbow or a fletchette gun. These are highly rare as ammunition; however, they are cheap to buy. In exchange, the railway rifle has become enormously more powerful from its last iteration, while retaining its ability to do extreme damage to limbs--sometimes even pinning detached ones to walls.

The railway rifle is most effective in VATS at close to mid ranges, although its range is somewhat increased from its last incarnation and can be greatly increased with modification.

Weapon modifications
Receiver


 * Standard receiver
 * Automatic piston receiver

Barrel


 * Short barrel
 * Long barrel

Stock


 * Short stock
 * Recoiled Compensated Stock

Locations

 * Big John's salvage - inside Big John's fallout shelter, which is in a blue overturned railway car just behind his house. In order to enter the shelter's trapdoor, the power must be switched on. The power switch is near the automobile-powered main gate to the salvage yard, attached to a power cable that runs to the blue railway car.  After hitting the switch, access the trapdoor by jumping on top of the car.
 * Potential reward for completing the quest Underground Undercover.
 * Bedford Station - Inside a blue railway car that is not overturned, west on the train tracks. (Sometimes it's there sometimes it isn't, presently it's unknown what triggers its appearance.)