Hand Tool ID

[habu68]

I believe that the large hammer in the center is a Rail road spike hammer, the sender shape allows for striking close to the rail.

[Frosty]

I believe that the large hammer in the center is a Rail road spike hammer, the sender shape allows for striking close to the rail.

Correctomundo. It's called a "gandy.' The gandy dancer is the guy who swings it.

Frosty

[irnsrgn]

Gandy, Slang for a pry bar about 5 to 6ft long with a heavy usually square point, Wielded by a gang (crew) of about 12 to 16 or more RR workers who worked as a team, walking the tracks, usually chanting a rythmetic song to coordinate the team effort of Levering (Dancing) the Track and Ties at a curve in the RR tracks, as each passing of a train had a tendency to move the track and ties setting on the ballast. The combination of the term Gander from the look of a line of men in a row all stooped over like ducks, possitioning the rail on the ties when the line was being constructed and what looked like a dancing motion of the track during repositioning by the lineup crew Coined the Term Gandy Dancers. Most common term for tool is Spike Maul. This used to be a RR town with A roundhouse and other shops and The Mopac an BN tracks cross each other under the Viaduct on the south end of town.

reference - Gandy dancer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To further muddy the waters , Re: Gandy Dancer - Trains.com Forums

even the RR Buffs Argue About the term "Gandy Dancer".

CSAM Video Collection
third clip down for a 1920's movie clip of Gandy Dancers.

[irnsrgn]

I love those 2 nevada pattern sledge heads the square backing out punch is resting on

[habu68]

I have seen sources that refer to the shovel also, called an Irish Banjo, that was made by the Gandy Shovel Co. Here is one:

Did you ever see a line of track workers hand shoveling roadbed
material or ballast? Or, lifting ties to be spiked by prying them
up with a shovel.
In the early days of track laying the work was done by hand.
Long lines of men with shovels did the work where now
bulldozers or graders are used. This long line would look like a
string of dancers. Ties were pried up with the shovels so spikers
could drive and set spikes to hold the rails. The track worker
“danced” on the shovel handle to do this. The handles on these
shovels were 56

[habu68]

From Utah Phillips a self proclaimed professional bum.
(with words redacted to protect the innocent)
MOOSE **** PIE

’ll tell ya about the worst job I ever had in my life.

The worst job I ever had was workin’ for the Santa Fe Railroad, south of Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s the old Mormon Muddy Mission, you see. It’s way out in what the Navajos call "the boonies." Out in the desert.

Now, the job was "Gandy Dancin.’" Now, Gandy Dancin’ used to be, in the old days, when the Irish were building the railroad. Of course, the first trans-continental railroad was built by Irish laborers, and they used these long-handled shovels called Irish banjos that were made by the Gandy Shovel Company of Chicago.

Now, the Irish laborer would take the wide end of the shovel, when he could find it, and he would jam it in under a rail or a tie, and he would climb out on the long handle and do a little jig-step out there and that lever the tie up or the rail up and you push gravel in underneath it and tamp it down and that levels the road bed, see? That’s what Gandy Dancin’ is. Levelin’ the road bed, so the **** train doesn’t fall off as it goes by, which is just a big drag for everybody.

Now, they don’t do Gandy Dancin’ the normal way anymore see, like in the old days. Now days they run three cars out on the line. They run a box car out there that’s a bunk car, you sleep in it. Got bunks in there, 18 inches apart. Then you got a tool car with your tamping irons and your tongs and your double jack hammers and your spikes and all of that equipment see, to do the job. And then you got a cook car. There’s no restaurants anyplace around, so you got a cook car. Pots and pans, and a coal or wood burning stove, and a long table down the middle to eat at.

Only thing they don’t hire is a cook. That’s ‘cause they’re cheap. Rule is, that in that crew, they’re suppose to pick among their own members who’s gonna be the cook. Now, they don’t try to do it sensibly like draw lots or decide who the best cook is. What they do is they wait and find out who ***** and wines, and **** and moans the most about the cookin.’ And they say "Alright wise guy, you think you can do better, you get to be the cook."

Well, that was me, see. Old alligator mouth. The new man on the crew and that was the worst food I’d ever had. I mean it was dog bottom pie and pheasant sweat, otter water, it comes out of an otter. It’s terrible, terrible stuff. Some people might think it’s a delicacy, but I thought it was garp.

So, I complained and they said "OK wise guy, you get to be the cook." That made me mad, because I didn’t wanna cook. But I knew if anybody complained about my cookin,’ that they were gonna have to cook.

Armed with that knowledge, I sallied forth over the muddy river. I was walkin’ around among the cheap grass and bunch grass there and I looked down, and there was just a **** of a big moose *** Biggest xxxx moose ***...that was a real steamer. I looked down at that meadow wafer and I said to myself "Self! I’m gonna bake up a big moose *** pie. ‘Cause if anybody complains about my cookin,’ they’re gonna have to cook."

So I tipped that pasture pastry up on edge. I got my *** together, so to speak. And I started rollin’ it down toward the old cook car. I got it down there and leaned it up against the side. And I climbed up in the cook car and I baked up a *** of a big pie shell. And I baked that moose *** in it as slick as you please. And I crimped the edges with my thumbs. And laid strips of dough across it and garnished it with a sprig of parsley. A little paprika. It was beautiful. Poetry on a plate.

And I served it for desert, waitin’ for the first hint of a complaint. Well, this giant dude come in, about 5 foot 40, I mean he was big. Throwed himself down like a fool on the stool. Picked up his fork, took a big bite of that moose **** pie. Well, he threw down his fork and he let out a beller, and he yelled "My God! That’s moose *** pie! ..... It’s good though."

- Utah Phillips

[ThomasPowers]

Mark B; seems like I have the same hammers too! (Including the weird cobblers and the long thin sq punch/drift).

[markb]

Thomas
irnsrgn described it as a "backing out punch" but I don't know what that refers to or its specific use.

The cobblers hammer is hand forged, t's quite a big upset on the round end, fasinated me because I'm tring to do some upsetting and isn't as easy as I thought.

Mark

[Jmercier]

There's a reason they call it upsetting =P

[Frosty]

Gandy, Slang for a pry bar about 5 to 6ft long with a heavy usually square point, Wielded by a gang (crew) of about 12 to 16 or more RR workers who worked as a team,

I guess I should've looked it up before sending, I was repeating what Dad told me way back when. He had several Spike mauls.

Thanks for the straightenin out. If it is of course, prybar or shovel.

One thing I'm absolutely positive of though is moose **** doesn't come in patties.

Frosty

[irnsrgn]

backing out punch, made specifically for the RR section gangs, I have several that were made locally by the hammer plant. it basically a handled punch that is struck with a sledge for backing out bolts etc.

Backing Out Punch

[ThomasPowers]

None on that page were square in cross section; do you know what the sq ones were used for, must be a specific job and for two exact ones to exist so far apart a "fairly" common one too.

[markb]

Thomas
My punch isn't too old because it has " wear your safety goggles" stamped on the under side.

[markb]

Heres some
The bottom ones are barn stormer goggles
The top ones are black metal screen.
The little ones are blue glass and screen, used for jewelry circa 1900.

Irnsrgn
There are better pics of the nevada patterns in the gallery.
What is their specific use?
Thanks Mark

[habu68]

Dang I'd love to rummage through your tool shed. love this stuff

[John B]

Hi Mark B,
the hammer second from the left with the long tapered end and the shorter octagonal end looks very much like a slaters hammer.

The smaller end was used to puch a hole through a roofing slate, and the other end was used to hammer in a nail through the punched hole to attach it to the roofing slate battens

[markb]

Mike
I'm happy to be able to share. Been collecting for over 30 yrs., a lot of stuff is pretty ordinary tho. You're welcome here anytime. (long drive)

John B
Thanks that makes sense, that one has been a puzzle to me. I think I have another Slater's hammer my wife got it at a sale with a matching nail puller, I'll have to go find it and see what the hammer looks like.

[habu68]

I found this looking through Jr's link Re: Gandy Dancer - Trains.com Forums and thought it worth sharing....

Re: Gandy Dancer




From snopes.com:

"According to Charles Albi, director of the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, "Gandydancer" most likely comes from the Gandy Manufacturing Company of Chicago. They made many of the tools track workers used to lay rails."

At least snopes credits a source, which guarantees nothing other than someone else provided the information and therefore snopes is abdicating blame in case of error.

I suggest someone who thinks it's important -- not me -- ask Mr. Albi where he got his info. I'll bet he read it on one of the cut-and-paste sites tree68 pointed out, as this version of the fairy tale has been repeated often enough to where it has morphed into a belief.

Although I have heard Gandy Mfg. still exists in a secret location in a Chicago suburb, and Elvis works there driving a lift truck. Thankyouverymuch.

Pop Z

It just shows that we all have opinions and bellybuttons and not to take either to seriously.


Re: moose muffins, 'round here their called elk raisins. (the're good though)

[markb]

You got me going on this.
Here's a link to a movie about the Gandy Dancers.

I deleted the link because of inappropriate language.

Ok here is a link to the movie. 2 steps to get to the movie.

Be forewarned it contains X rated language.

Glenn delete this if it doesn't fit.

FolkStreams

[markb]

Slaters hammer

[nett]

That's a slate hammer, without question. That slate ripper/nail cutter functions the same as the one my grandfather made out of a leaf spring and used on cedar roofs. We struck the curled end of the leaf to cut the nails. I always assumed he invented it - wrong!

Now, all you need is a zax to complete your collection.

[markb]

Whats a zax?

[Finnr]

A zax? Ain't that what former Pres Clinton played?
FInnr

[nett]

Whats a zax?

Zax. A slater's hatchet, with a sharp point on
the pole, for perforating the slate to receive the
pin. Sax ; saixe.
The zax is about 16 inches long and 2 in width
it is somewhat bent at one end, and the spur is 3
inches long.

Knight's Mechanical Dictionary (1880 edition)

[irnsrgn]

Nevada pattern sledges, smaller one handed ones used with a steel (drill) for drilling powder holes in mines were called single jacks, larger ones with longer handles were called double jacks, one man held the steel resting on one shoulder with a bit sticking back and the other man struck it with the double jack, they alternated positions. The steel or drill was rotated after each strike a bit.