Railroad Spikes: Question about old-timey climbing

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Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic
HMHaines

climber
Southington, CT
Topic Author's Original Post - May 10, 2016 - 05:24pm PT
Hi folks!

I'm looking for some information and I'm hoping a few of the old-timers or historians might be able to help out. Now, I'm not a climber, I'm a sculptor. Recently I was hired to make a sculpture out of climbing equipment and we picked out a pile of rusty old pitons for source material. It was mentioned briefly that, although the client didn't use many marketed pitons, they had used railroad spikes. Can someone elaborate on this?

I love old steel, stories of classic ingenuity, and all that nonsense. You climbers seem to have done some crazy stuff! Stovepipe legs?! Any information about railroad spikes being used in mountain climbing would be great to have. I was told to seek out Ken Yager so... Hello? Mr. Yager?

Thanks!
Harvey


P.S.
If you've got a big bunch of rusty old climbing gear, I might be interested in getting my hands on it for this sculpture. Let me know! No stainless steel or aluminum, though.
Roots

Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
Aug 15, 2016 - 06:10pm PT
Hello -

Here is a RR spike that was found around the base of Fool's Rush at Tahquitz in the mid 70's. Richard Harrison told me that he and Tobin were walking by and it was slightly sticking up from the ground.

Nice piece of history:


Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Aug 15, 2016 - 07:13pm PT
I've seen railroad spikes used during dam construction for running guide wire (nothing weight bearing that I could see), just to keep some equipment upright in the winds.

Made sense if you looked at it.
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
Aug 15, 2016 - 07:19pm PT
angle iron c#m piton
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
Aug 15, 2016 - 07:34pm PT
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Aug 15, 2016 - 08:57pm PT
hey there say, roots, and thebravecowboy...

wow, NEAT PICS... thanks for sharing the pics and info, for
the original post'er...


lots of stuff to learn here, too, at the ol' taco, :)
Charlie D.

Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
Aug 16, 2016 - 04:41am PT
Roots that is amazing, thanks for posting.....now if it could only talk.
norm larson

climber
wilson, wyoming
Aug 16, 2016 - 04:49am PT
Need to get Ron O. in on this. I seem to remember a railroad spike or two on one of his Zion routes long ago. First pitch of Cerebus before it was rerouted and made in to a bolt ladder?
Roots

Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
Aug 21, 2016 - 03:48pm PT
Roots....wondering about that piece....is that in your possession?

Yes it is.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
Aug 22, 2016 - 05:20am PT
Cragsman, please & Thankyou
BLESS You !




Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Aug 22, 2016 - 05:41am PT
Two kinds of railroad spikes:
Mild steel (~20 points of carbon) and high-carbon steel (30-40 points of carbon)

The high-carbon steel spikes usually have "HC" forged into the head, and are similar to 1030 or 1040 steel

SGropp

Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
Aug 22, 2016 - 08:44am PT


BJ ''I wailed a railroad spike in at the Town Wall once, and came back two weeks later and people were clipped to it for pro.''

Was that at the start of City Park ?
I remember tying that spike off as the first placement in about 1972 , long before that route went free.
zBrown

Ice climber
Aug 22, 2016 - 09:21am PT
I have a bunch of them. Bad news. I can't remember where they are or whether they're the soft or hard pretzel type.

Anyway, sculpture-wise, I like this one.


and this one

Roots

Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
Aug 23, 2016 - 10:12pm PT
Cragman - thank you for the interest but I couldn't sell anything from my collection..trying to get a museum going...
Roots

Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
Aug 24, 2016 - 07:09pm PT
There used to be a RR spike on the back of a small formation at Rubidoux. I would use it for a TR anchor (1 of the 3 anchor points). It worked just fine with a slip knot or girth hitch. About ten years ago, it disappeared.
Darwin

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Aug 24, 2016 - 08:08pm PT
OK, one of us Index climbers must have a photo of an anchor to the giant quarrying ring bolts on Great Northern Slab, right? That's right next to the RR tracks, too.

Worse yet, the nails that served as bolts on Town Crier. Those were put in by Beckey, right? They're gone now, I believe.
Roots

Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
Aug 25, 2016 - 06:24pm PT
^I like that climb. But I don't remember a RR spike. Must have been before my time.
Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic
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