found these two heavy bolts near the rail road tracks

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - found these two heavy bolts near the rail road tracks

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:20:09 AM EDT

I picked up these two used large bolts near the rail road tracks, what do you think they were used for? they're about 7" long with a large square nut on the end with a heavy duty lock washer. are they some type of heavy duty bolts used on box cars?

I sprayed WD40 on them and cleaned them up

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:21:16 AM EDT

[#1]

Rail splice bolts.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:21:19 AM EDT

[#2]

Maybe they are used for the railroad tracks. I don't know, i'm guessing here

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:23:23 AM EDT

[#3]

I found some of those and some damn big lag screws on the RR tracks while hunting this year.

The lag screws were holding down the track "clips" (for lack of a better term) to the ties and I saw the bolt used in a similar fashion on a different type of "clip".

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:24:09 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Rail splice bolts.

Bling, first reply too.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:29:35 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I found some of those and some damn big lag screws on the RR tracks while hunting this year.

The lag screws were holding down the track "clips" (for lack of a better term) to the ties and I saw the bolt used in a similar fashion on a different type of "clip".

"Clips" is a common term, but they are also called "clamps" although a "clamp" is more commonly used for attaghing rails to steel or concrete beams, rather than wooden or concrete ties.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:31:01 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
The lag screws were holding down the track "clips" (for lack of a better term) to the ties and I saw the bolt used in a similar fashion on a different type of "clip".

Not sure, but I think you're talking about tie plates.

On some areas with concrete ties, a fastener that looks kind of like a really big paper clip is used to secure the rail to the tie plate.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:31:26 AM EDT

[#7]

They're nothing.All they do is hold on the brake pads.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:31:57 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
They're nothing.All they do is hold on the brake pads.

Not anymore!!!

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:33:38 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The lag screws were holding down the track "clips" (for lack of a better term) to the ties and I saw the bolt used in a similar fashion on a different type of "clip".

I think you're talking about tie plates.

On some areas with concrete ties, a fastener that looks kind of like a really big paper clip is used to secure the rail to the tie plate.

Could be.
The only thing I know about railroads is to get the hell out of the way when a train is coming.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:33:40 AM EDT

[#10]

Cool find.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:35:24 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Could be.
The only thing I know about railroads is to get the hell out of the way when a train is coming.

If you're only going to know one thing about railroads, that's a pretty good thing to know.

Sort of like electricity. My Dad was a Union electrician for KCP&L. Here's what he taught me about electricity: If you can see it, it's bad.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:36:06 AM EDT

[#12]

The fact the nuts and lock washers are on them mean they didn't "fall out"--they "fell off" of something--perhaps a bin or open door.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:38:50 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
The fact the nuts and lock washers are on them mean they didn't "fall out"--they "fell off" of something--perhaps a bin or open door.

Probably fell off the Maintenance-Of-Way equipment. I wish I had some. I'm kind of a bolt geek. I have a whole crate of all sorts of bolts from around the world.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:38:58 AM EDT

[#14]

They could be deadly weapons if thrown at somebody with enough force!

Actually if you took the two bolts and threaded them into one nut and placed some match heads between the bolt ends and gently thread them together so that they're a little snug, you have yourself a little fragmentation device.

Throw it and you'll get an extremely loud bang and one bolt will fly out of the nut. You can tie some paracord around them to keep them together. DO NOT TRY AT HOME if you are a wuss or overly value your fingers.

I made a couple when I was a teenager with some smaller bolts/nuts. You could make a pretty respectable toy with those! Maybe I should go look around some railroad tracks.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:40:48 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
The fact the nuts and lock washers are on them mean they didn't "fall out"--they "fell off" of something--perhaps a bin or open door.

yep, thats how they were found, but they were very dirty, so I sprayed WD 40 on them and used #0000 fine steel wool and wiped them off clean

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:42:06 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Maybe they are used for the railroad tracks. I don't know, i'm guessing here

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:47:27 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The fact the nuts and lock washers are on them mean they didn't "fall out"--they "fell off" of something--perhaps a bin or open door.

Probably fell off the Maintenance-Of-Way equipment. I wish I had some. I'm kind of a bolt geek. I have a whole crate of all sorts of bolts from around the world.

If you are a collector perhaps he would trade them for something he likes.

Posted: 10/31/2006 7:54:03 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I found some of those and some damn big lag screws on the RR tracks while hunting this year.

The lag screws were holding down the track "clips" (for lack of a better term) to the ties and I saw the bolt used in a similar fashion on a different type of "clip".

"Clips" is a common term, but they are also called "clamps" although a "clamp" is more commonly used for attaghing rails to steel or concrete beams, rather than wooden or concrete ties.

yer both wrong they're called "Mags" sheesh!!

Posted: 10/31/2006 8:00:51 AM EDT

[#19]

Here's a pic of one of the lag screws I found (dime above for size reference):

Posted: 10/31/2006 8:05:14 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
They could be deadly weapons if thrown at somebody with enough force!

Actually if you took the two bolts and threaded them into one nut and placed some match heads between the bolt ends and gently thread them together so that they're a little snug, you have yourself a little fragmentation device.

Throw it and you'll get an extremely loud bang and one bolt will fly out of the nut. You can tie some paracord around them to keep them together. DO NOT TRY AT HOME if you are a wuss or overly value your fingers.

I made a couple when I was a teenager with some smaller bolts/nuts. You could make a pretty respectable toy with those! Maybe I should go look around some railroad tracks.

OH NOES!! ban these evil Assault Bolts. It's for the children!!

Posted: 10/31/2006 8:06:58 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I found some of those and some damn big lag screws on the RR tracks while hunting this year.

The lag screws were holding down the track "clips" (for lack of a better term) to the ties and I saw the bolt used in a similar fashion on a different type of "clip".

"Clips" is a common term, but they are also called "clamps" although a "clamp" is more commonly used for attaghing rails to steel or concrete beams, rather than wooden or concrete ties.

yer both wrong they're called "Mags" sheesh!!

Heh.

Posted: 10/31/2006 9:47:50 AM EDT

[#22]

I bet they were on jointed rail too.

ETA: They were. Here's apic of a railroad "diamond", you can see the same bolts there holding curved joints to the rails. "Jointed rail" uses straight joints to hold two different pieces of rail together.

Posted: 10/31/2006 9:58:47 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
They're nothing.All they do is hold on the brake pads.

---Yea, that's kinda what I was thinking: "If there's a train derailment in your neighborhood, you might be getting a visit from the FBI..."
~

Posted: 10/31/2006 11:17:21 AM EDT

[#24]

Not to be a troll or anything, but i remember reading a while back while researching railroad spike tomahawks, that it was illegal to remove any spike or hardware from railroad tracks or the area. I cant remember exactly what was written but thae fact it was a federal offense stuck in my head. you may want to do some reading up on it if you plan on taking anything more from around the tracks.........

Posted: 10/31/2006 11:24:16 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Not to be a troll or anything, but i remember reading a while back while researching railroad spike tomahawks, that it was illegal to remove any spike or hardware from railroad tracks or the area. I cant remember exactly what was written but thae fact it was a federal offense stuck in my head. you may want to do some reading up on it if you plan on taking anything more from around the tracks.........

Well, technically the hardware is the property of either the railroad or the MOW contractor. However, I don't think that the intent of the law is to prosecute individuals who collect a couple of discarded bolts. What is very illegal, though, is removing spikes from tie plates.

Posted: 10/31/2006 11:30:12 AM EDT

[#26]

Well, technically the hardware is the property of either the railroad or the MOW contractor. However, I don't think that the intent of the law is to prosecute individuals who collect a couple of discarded bolts. What is very illegal, though, is removing spikes from tie plates.

I used to "borrow" spikes when I was a kid to use as tent stakes. I'd completely forgotten I did that until just now.

Posted: 10/31/2006 11:45:22 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Rail splice bolts.

Big +1; where the tracks near the location were you found the bolts new or that they were recently replaced?

BTW, railroad (ties & tracks) steel is the best for making good knives.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - found these two heavy bolts near the rail road tracks

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