✅ SOLVED Need help with this thing

PennDirtDigger

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Location
Western Pennsylvania
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Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Found this big hunka hunka in the woods near Lake Erie. I just took it out of the electrolysis tank. It weighs roughly 10 pounds. Something to do with a dock or shipyard perhaps?? Any ideas?? Thanks all:occasion14: IMG_1596.webpIMG_1597.webpIMG_1598.webpIMG_1599.webp
 

Its a "hang weight",.... but I'm not sure for what purpose.
 

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But it could be used to line up two holes,... that would make it a "pin"
 

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It looks like a sounding weight to me
 

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I found one like it here in south Georgia that was identified as a train car hitch pin.
 

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Some older windows had them to assist in opening

Aah, for balance,.....

I have seen huge freight doors with weights and cables to balance the door weight.
 

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That is the same picture used to ID the one I found. Mine came from a Spanish/American war camp about 500' from the railroad tracks. Funny thing is, I can't find any posts about it nor do I remember what I did with it! Getting old ain't for sissies!:laughing7:
 

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This is a hitch pin looks a lot like a sash weight but they are crude and straight no shoulder at the top
 

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That's a great find. By any chance were you along a old main line or logging RR grade. Around here I find the links and pins quite often along old logging rail roads. You gotta go back and find yourself a link to go with your pin. They make a nice display.
 

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I found one like it here in south Georgia that was identified as a train car hitch pin.

Agree. Link pin for coupling train cars. 19th C to early 20th.

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Looks like Firemanphob has nailed the ID:icon_thumleft:
 

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I've read that many old railroad men lost fingers or had serious hand injuries from coupling cars with these. You had to have near perfect timing to get the pin to drop into the link.

View attachment 1793555

View attachment 1793556
 

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