Help needed to identify railway artefacts

[Simon Appleby]

Hi there,

I found a number of these metal pins in the trackbed of the former Comrie to St Fillans line in Scotland (and one or two on a separate stretch of line at Glen Ogle, near Lochearnhead). The line in question was opened in 1901 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lochearnhead,_St_Fillans_and_Comrie_Railway#Construction

My question is simply: what are they? My dad and I both call them 'track pins' but they're not spiked, so I am not sure that's right. And I don't see how they can be fishplate bolts, as they don't have any kind of thread. I found them at different places along a one mile stretch of trackbed, many partially buried.

Would be very grateful if anyone could shed any light. I have cleaned up these examples with my angle grinder, I have more rusty ones to do! As you can see they're about 16.5 cm long with a flanged head and a 2cm diameter shaft.

Thanks!

Simon

 

[Audioguy]

Hi there,

My question is simply: what are they? My dad and I both call them 'track pins' but they're not spiked, so I am not sure that's right. And I don't see how they can be fishplate bolts, as they don't have any kind of thread. I found them at different places along a one mile stretch of trackbed, many partially buried.

Loads of interesting drawings here:

http://www.oldpway.info/opw_drawings.html

Looks like they are 'spikes' to hold the chairs down.

http://www.oldpway.info/drawings/1895pw_pl14_CalR.pdf

If I read the drawing correctly then each chair has four 'spikes' into drilled holes or two metal spikes and two wooden pegs.

Dave

 

[Simon Appleby]

Truly, you are a magical man - thank you Dave, the spikes look exactly like what I have a bucket full of. Very grateful to you for pointing me in the right direction!

 

[Audioguy]

I was surprised to see that they are rod shaped rather than nail shaped! Must be rammed into predrilled undersized holes.
Dave

 

[Simon Appleby]

My assumption too. Some of the other diagrams showed very similar 'non-spikey' spikes being used e.g. Cambrian, Furness, L&Y.

8 per sleeper is a lot of metalwork! There were probably many more to find but sadly they tarmacced the track bed two years ago so my opportunity is gone now...

 

[DelW]

Interesting site, I must look further into what's on there, thanks for the link.

The Furness Railway drawing from the same list shows (imperial) dimensions which agree with the OP's measurements, allowing for some section loss from corrosion:
http://www.oldpway.info/drawings/1895pw_pl02_FR.pdf