What is it?

[Tony in SD]

What is it? Its about 20 inches long. A friend of mine gave it to me and I have no idea what it is used for. Thanks in advance for the help.

Tony

 

[60 acre hillside]

Looks like a balling gun used to administer a pill in cattle
 

[Roy in UK]

I sure would like to see the can of spam that you open with that key!
 

[DiyDave]

Combination klinker remover/grate shaker from an old coal stove/furnace?
 

[PaGlenn]

A large skelton key for a really large thick door
 

[Mike Groom]

I think Dave is right,a grate lifter for coals in a stove or fireplace.
 

[greygoat]

You're all wrong...It's a PACKING TOOL for use
on old railroad cars that had friction bearings.
The old, non roller bearing cars, had Journal
BOX's, (thus the term HOT BOX, when they overheated, and caught on fire)That had a thick pad of packing material, that looked like
toweling, or felt. The box held about a gallon of
"Journal Box Oil". The pad rubbed the bottom of
the axle to lubricate it as it rolled. On top of
the axle sat the Journal bearing, about 6 x 11
or 7 x 12 with about a 1 inch thick babbit
section that sat on the axle, and had about a
2 inch thick brass top section. The weight of the
car sat on the journal box, which sat on the
journal bearing, which sat on the axle. Journal
box's had to be inspected every 500 miles by
"Carmen", and re oiled as needed. The tool has
a spur on it that pulled open the journal box
door, for inspection, the "spoon" part, on the
end was for adjusting-removing-replaceing the
packing. A car mans job, in the pre roller
bearing days was very dangerous, and many got
killed, or legs cut off, while oiling cars in
railroad yards , by moving cars!
I've oiled thousands of cars !
 

[LenND]

Greygoat is right. It is or was used to change or pack the waste in the railcar wheel journals. In fact I have the one I used fifty some years ago. They finally went to roller bearings and ended that.
 

[Tony in SD]

Thanks greygoat & lenND. Now I know
 

[DiyDave]

Thanks, Greygoat, I always learn something on here, and that was today's lesson!