What are these?

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Cleaning out the bench in the shed and something tells me I should know what they are. Nail heads have numbers too.

 

[Red Dave]

Look a lot like railroad date spikes to me.

They have the year the wooden cross tie was installed.

 

[Steve in VA]

Look a lot like railroad date spikes to me.

They have the year the wooden cross tie was installed.

That's exactly what the spikes are. The disc may be but I've never seen those.

 

[Brokengun]

To me they look like Date disks and spike fasteners used to date Electric poles

 

[flying belgian]

Look a lot like railroad date spikes to me.

They have the year the wooden cross tie was installed.

Railroad spikes

 

[BobTx]

Definitely railroad spikes. It looks like the disks were used to identify the date of installation. Different railroads must of used different dating systems. The central Texas railroad that I am familiar with used large , short and galvanized nails with the year stamped in the head. I have several hidden away in some junk drawer. lol BobTx

 

[DoubleO7]

Cleaning out the bench in the shed and something tells me I should know what they are. Nail heads have numbers too.View attachment 116306

Looks like they are on a table saw. So not as big as RR spikes.

3 inches long?

Like mentioned some way to I.D. RR ties or utility poles or maybe even to I.D. logs going to a mill so that the harvester gets credit? The last is a big maybe.

 

[Dingo3]

To me they look like Date disks and spike fasteners used to date Electric poles

Agree, the tags are a numbering, location system for utility poles.

 

[scootergmc]

They were used by both utilities and railroads.

 

[Steve in VA]

Looks like they are on a table saw. So not as big as RR spikes.

3 inches long?

Like mentioned some way to I.D. RR ties or utility poles or maybe even to I.D. logs going to a mill so that the harvester gets credit? The last is a big maybe.

Not a spike as in holding the rail to the tie. These are date nails driven into the end of ties to indicate inspection date.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

Not a spike as in holding the rail to the tie. These are date nails driven into the end of ties to indicate inspection date.

You are correct, railroad tie spikes have a flat side and longer.

 

[flying belgian]

Looks like they are on a table saw. So not as big as RR spikes.

3 inches long?

Like mentioned some way to I.D. RR ties or utility poles or maybe even to I.D. logs going to a mill so that the harvester gets credit? The last is a big maybe.

By gosh you're right. Not long enough for rail spikes. Good catch.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Only about 2 inches long and the tags are copper. I'm inclined to believe they're from utility poles. Why would they be on an old dairy farm.

 

[Mule Meat]

Used For utility pole inspection dating.

Back when those were used. Power pole numbers were nailed to the pole individually like the metal numbers people use for mail box post or house numbers.

 

[kencombs]

Yep, power pole stuff most likely. City utility here (NE OK) still uses similar, brass tag and nail with a serial number and date. I have 3 on my city place, one at the street, one half way to the shop and one at the shop. Originally installed in the mid-60s when Dad built here. City replaced all 3 a couple of years ago just based on the date as they were all still sound.

 

[flying belgian]

Only about 2 inches long and the tags are copper. I'm inclined to believe they're from utility poles. Why would they be on an old dairy farm.

When the utility company replaced poles across your farm you could buy or have the old ones to use as fence posts or to build a hay shed. My neighbor even saws them for lumber with his sawmill.

 

[Steve in VA]

Used For utility pole inspection dating.

Back when those were used. Power pole numbers were nailed to the pole individually like the metal numbers people use for mail box post or house numbers.

I have a pole out back with a date stamp of September 41.

 

[Dingo3]

When the utility company replaced poles across your farm you could buy or have the old ones to use as fence posts or to build a hay shed. My neighbor even saws them for lumber with his sawmill.

We used to give them away. Sometimes even help load them for you. Environmental standards changed and now we have to cut them up and pay someone to dispose of hazardous waste.

 

[Gary Reif]

All the railroad tie date nails I've collected have round shanks, some railroads may have used different types. My guess is power pole date nails.

 

[Mule Meat]

I have a pole out back with a date stamp of September 41.

I could tell you a story about the historical things two friends I saw in VA. We took a little hike from Doswell to Gordonsville along the railroad tracks in the mid 90s. Passing through Beaverdam, Bumpass, Mineral and a couple of other towns.