So i did a lighting gig in D.C. the other day, up off of Wacomb to be specific. Anyways at the end of the gig as we were loading the truck i noticed a rail road spike lying in the grass. So i grabbed it being the blacksmith opportunist that i am, didn't really pay attention to it until i got home. Which is about the time i noticed its only about 4.5"s long, coated in some sort of anti corrosion coating, and has a k emboosed on the top. What i want to know is what in the world would a mini spike be doing in D.C.  does anyone know? 

crucifiction for tax payers??????

Lobbying  for a Rail Road bill ?

Your 4 1/2" spike is probably from a 2' gauge industrial or mine railway.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrow_gauge_railway

 

As to how it got to DC, it is anybody's guess. I'm sure that state has its share of heavy industry and/or mining, just like any other. Maybe it fell out of some other blacksmith's pocket!

 

Regards,

Markus

RR spikes range in size from about 7-8" for heavy traffic main lines down to a couple inches for gardern railways.  It sounds like yours may be for a sidetrack or branch line.  Also, 19th century RRs generally used smaller spikes than modern roads.  They didn't need anything larger because engines and trains were not as heavy and didn't move as fast.

 

Spikily,

George M.

 

PS Oddly enough, when folk come up to my booth and see RR spike knives they often say, "railroad tie."  Even if they know the difference (and a surprising number do not) the word that automatically follows "railroad" is "tie."  Odd.

well in oz we call them a dog, and they are driven into the sleepers.

we use small ones on the 2ft cane railways

These caught my eye at a local scrap yard the other day. There's millions of these scattered around Colorado mines. I like seeing the grain on wrought iron.

Dear Woody,

 

I knew that ties were sleepers in British/Australian usage but I didn't know that a spike is a dog.  Other RR terms that I am aware of are:

 

switch = points

engineer = driver

fireman = driver's mate

caboose = van

boxcar = truck (?)

ties = sleepers

spike = dog

 

Are there any others?

 

Divergently,

George M.

Oddly enouph, well i dont know if its odd but on lay out tables that have holes, what goes in the hole is a dog clamp or dog leg clamp that holds down your piece pretty much thesame as RR spike or dog

There are all manner of "dogs" out there.  Log Dogs, which keep the log from rolling while squaring it up,  the Dog you use on a lathe when you are turning an odd shape that must be held between two centers,  RR spikes ("dogs"), Just to name a few.

I've heard RR spikes called "spikes", "dogs" and "dog spikes"  

On 2/22/2013 at 6:30 PM, iron woodrow said:

well in oz we call them a dog, and they are driven into the sleepers.

 

I thought "dog" related to the different shape of head on some spikes, which sorta/kinda looks like a stylised dog's head because of the "ears" on the sides. And yep, you guessed it, I've heard those ones called "dog's head spikes" 

You know Jono, I'm having an awful hard time not making some kind of dingo spike, jokes right about now.

Frosty The Lucky.

It's funny you should mention it: when I was younger and my dad found me misbehaving, he'd threaten me with "D'you want a clip in the left dingo?", and he was referring to a smack on 'the "ear" on the side'...of my head! 

(just one of those weird Aussie idioms, I guess. Not even rhyming slang to make sense of it!)

Oh I don't know I think, "D'you want a clip in the left dingo," is almost poetic as it is. I can almost hear a parent with a couple arguing kids saying, "D'you want me to play clip the dingo bingo?"

Cultural idioms almost always sound weird to outsiders. At least Aussies have some fun ones that don't require much explanation.

Frosty The Lucky.