Tool how old is it?

[Unitedstatesofamerica1]

 

[HuntinDog]

I don't think it is a tool...
It looks like it is a narrow gage RR spike without the head.
I have seen them that way

 

[Old Pueblo]

I agree, broken railroad spike. I see lots of them just like that.

 

[dozer dan]

Just in the off chance there were no railroads around, possibly a tooth from a spike toothed harrow.

 

[goober]

38 yrs with railroad,its a broken spike! we call them dead heads!

 

[A2coins]

Bingo bingo bingo and dead head was its name o Hey!!!!

 

[sprailroad]

38 yrs with railroad,its a broken spike! we call them dead heads!

I'm with goober on this one, if fact I even "created" a number of those by trying to pull rusted spikes with a "claw bar", but I had only 33 yrs with the RR.

 

[dozer dan]

As long as we’re on the subject, I found a RR spike last summer while doing excavation of a road. The area used to be a set of tracks for a train to haul logs from the woods to the mill years ago. The spike looks just like any other RR spike but it’s only about half the size in length and width. Any input?

 

[Icewing]

As long as we’re on the subject, I found a RR spike last summer while doing excavation of a road. The area used to be a set of tracks for a train to haul logs from the woods to the mill years ago. The spike looks just like any other RR spike but it’s only about half the size in length and width. Any input?

https://sciencing.com/info-8572965-different-sizes-railroad-spikes.html

 

[Old Pueblo]

I'm with goober on this one, if fact I even "created" a number of those by trying to pull rusted spikes with a "claw bar", but I had only 33 yrs with the RR.

You must have one heck of an arm on you. Ive ripped the heads off a few old date nails, but never a spike.

 

[HuntinDog]

Leverage!

 

[Old Pueblo]

Leverage!

I could use one of them. I use a little 12 inch crow bar. It works fine most of the time. But sometime they dont want to budge and the heads fly right off.

 

[sprailroad]

https://sciencing.com/info-8572965-different-sizes-railroad-spikes.html

Nice information BUT, I have pounded spikes in both hard and soft wood ties over the years, no difference in the spike itself. On large production gangs with a lot of equipment, running dual spike drivers (machine), no difference in spikes. Be it 160lb rail or say some 90lb rail, (mostly older yard tracks) 6" base or 51/2" base of rail, no difference in spikes. The small spikes were most often used say in mining rail, some logging rail, and perhaps when the line itself was first laid way back when by hand with spit logs and small rail etc. Hard wood / Soft wood, heck, they even tried some composite and rubber ties, (VERY difficult to drive a spike in by hand, I'll tell you what), they tried metal switch ties in yard tracks for awhile. On many Main line tracks, they now install "concrete" ties, of course no spikes there, a whole different fastening system.