Caleb Foster
Railroad nails, also known as date nails, are small steel pieces that bear a 2-digit number indicating the year a crosstie was manufactured. They are around the size of a man's fingernail or thumbnail and are considered to be among the tiniest railroad artefacts. While some railroad nails indicate the date, others are used for numbering switches or other structural elements of the railroad.
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What You'll Learn
- Railroad date nails are small, thumbnail-sized steel pieces of Americana
- They bear a 2-digit number indicating the year a crosstie was manufactured
- Date nails are among the tiniest railroad artefacts
- Single-digit nails were used for numbering switches or other structural elements
- Letters referred to tie condition or treatment methods
Railroad date nails are small, thumbnail-sized steel pieces of Americana
Single-digit nails were often used to number switches or other structural elements of the railroad, rather than to indicate dates. Letters were also used to refer to tie condition or treatment methods. For example, an 'X' usually identifies a cull tie, otherwise referred to as a second. Some railroads used 'code nails' to mark something other than the date a tie was installed.
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They bear a 2-digit number indicating the year a crosstie was manufactured
Railroad nails, also known as date nails, are small steel pieces that bear a 2-digit number indicating the year a crosstie was manufactured. They are often around the size of a man's thumbnail, with the nail head being ½-inch to 5/8-inch in diameter and the shank running 2-3" in length. While they are usually used to indicate the date, they can also be used to number switches or other structural elements of the railroad. Letters on the nails often refer to tie condition or treatment methods, for example, an 'X' identifies a cull tie.
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Date nails are among the tiniest railroad artefacts
Single-digit nails were often used as a means for numbering switches or other structural elements of the railroad as opposed to the date. Letters most often referred to tie condition or treatment methods. For example, an “X” usually identifies a cull tie otherwise referred to as a second. Some railroads used "code nails" which means that the nail was used to mark something other than the date the tie was installed.
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Single-digit nails were used for numbering switches or other structural elements
Date nails are among the smallest items to be found as railroad artefacts. They are small, thumbnail-sized steel pieces of Americana that bear a 2-digit number indicating the year a crosstie was manufactured. The various shapes and styles make each one unique and reflect changing styles across the decades.
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Letters referred to tie condition or treatment methods
Railroad nails, also known as date nails, are small steel pieces that bear a 2-digit number indicating the year a crosstie was manufactured. The heads of these nails tend to be 1/2-inch to 5/8-inch in diameter, while the shank of a date nail is usually 2-3" in length.
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Frequently asked questions
Railroad nails, also known as 'date nails', are small steel pieces of Americana that bear a 2-digit number indicating the year a crosstie was manufactured.
The numbers on railroad nails indicate the year a crosstie was manufactured.
Single-digit nails were often used for numbering switches or other structural elements of the railroad. Letters most often referred to tie condition or treatment methods.
