I was on a road trip to Colorado and stopped at an antigue store somewhere in Kansas. There was a slab of styrofoam with about 50 or 60 nails stuck in it. These nails had numbers formed on the heads. The guy told me they were used by the Union Pacific to keep track of how long the different ties lasted.
As a section of rail was replaced these nails would be put in one or two of the ties in that section.
He showed me a book that also mentioned nails with code letters on them to show what type of wood the ties were made of. He didn't have any of the lettered ones, but said both would have been used to keep track of maintenance.
I paid $1.00 for one with a 43 on it. My birthyear.
Anybody have more info on these nails?
?
Ted
As a section of rail was replaced these nails would be put in one or two of the ties in that section.
He showed me a book that also mentioned nails with code letters on them to show what type of wood the ties were made of. He didn't have any of the lettered ones, but said both would have been used to keep track of maintenance.
I paid $1.00 for one with a 43 on it. My birthyear.
Anybody have more info on these nails?
?Ted
