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What type/grade steel are RR Spikes and Tie-Plates produced?


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Railroad Spikes are 1018 steel, the HC, Higher Carbon, Railroad Spikes are 1030 steel. Not sure about tie plates, there is a section on this site about railroad steels, do a search and I think you will find it there.

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American Railway Engineering Association's Specifications for Soft-Steel Track S
pikes. Original document, 1926, revised last in 1968

Two classes of track spikes are given specifications, both low carbon and high c
arbon. Two sizes of track spike are identified, one of 5/8 inch square shaft and
one of 9/16 inch.

Page 5-2-1. "A low carbon track spike will not contain greater than 0.12% carbon
nor greater than 0.20% copper.

Page 5-2-2. Section 6a.
Bending properties: The body of a full size finished spike shall stand being ben
t cold through 180 degrees flat on itself without cracking on the outside portio
n of the bent portion.

Page 5-2-2 Section 11. Marking. A letter or brand indicating the manufacturer sh
all be pressed on the head of each spike while it is being formed. When copper i
s specified, the letters "CU" shall be added.

Page 5-2-3: Specifications for high carbon steel track spikes 1968. Carbon not g
reater than 0.30%, nor greater than 0.20% copper. Page 5-2-4. Section 6a. Bendin
g properties: The body of a full size finished spike shall stand being bent cold
through 120 degrees around a pin, the diameter of which is not greater than the
thickness of the spike without cracking on the outside portion of the bent port
ion.

Page 5-2-5 Section 11. Marking: A letter or brand indicating manufacturer and al
so the letters "HC" indicating high carbon, shall be pressed on the head of each
spike while it is being formed. When copper is specified, the letters "CU" shal
l be added."

Additionally included in a fax to Mike Blue by the gentleman at Wellington indus
tries, a division of Sheffield Steel:
"Because of the bending tests required, the carbon content will not be greater t
han 0.30%. After all, brittle spikes would not be desirable as a track spike. A
bent spike still holds the rail while a fractured spike would not. The consequen
ces for the industry would be too great to consider. However, we refer to them a
s high carbon, they are not within the range of steels known as high carbon or h
ypereutectoid according to the steel industry standards, and have not been since
at least 1926, when most track spikes were previously manufactured from wrought
iron."

Of course, while some people will say .30% is bad, I know from personal experien
ce that a well made spike knife will take a good edge. It's very likely that the
document lays out desired guidelines, but the margin for error is high and some
spikes end up with plenty carbon to be made serviceable. Which is why we always
spark test them first.



rail anchors, (the sort of weird J shaped things), are 1040-1060 steel, depending upon manufacturer according to a modern spec

Arema (The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way A
ssociation) 2007 document, Part 2 "manufacture of Rail"

Standard rail steel:
.74 to.86% Carbon,
.75 to 1.25% Manganese,
.10 to .60% Silicon
Minimum Brinell (of unhardened surface) 310 or 370 dependant of grade ordered.

Low Alloy Rail Steel
.72 to .82% Carbon,
.80 to 1.10% Manganese,
.25 to .40& Chromium,
.10 to .50% Silicon
Minimum Brinell (of unhardened surface) 310, 325, or 370 dependant of grade orde
red.
The document shows the following breakdown for grades:
SS = standard strength (brinell 310)
HH = Head Hardened (brinell 370)
LA = Low Alloy Standard Strength (brinell 310)
IH = Low Alloy Intermediate (brinell 325)
LH = Low Alloy Head Hardened (brinell 370)

From: `Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice'
Seventh Edition, 1925
Compiled and Edited for the American Railway Association Division V, Mechanical
Published & printed by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Co., NY. NY.

Coupler Knuckle Pivot Pins
A.R.A. Standard Adopted 1917; Revised 1924

1. Process: The Steel shall be made by the open hearth process.
3. Chemical Composition: The steel shall conform to the following requirements as to chemical composition:
Carbon 0.55-0.70%
Manganese, not over 0.60%
Phosphorus, Not over 0.05%
Sulphur, not over 0.05%

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