Driving a railroad spike - GIF

**Altair** · Aug 9, 2023, 08:14 AM

Driving a railroad spike.

Previously:

Sliding railway section into place - GIF
Fixing buckled train track - GIF
Transporting new rail down the line - GIF
Rail repair with thermite welding - GIFs
Railroad track laying machine gantry crane - GIF

**hemmjo** · Aug 9, 2023, 05:23 PM

Don't want to hit your thumb with that hammer!!!!! Or toe.

**Ram50V8** · Aug 9, 2023, 06:27 PM

My dad worked as a "Gandy Dancer" before being drafted in WW2, it was amazing as kid watching him swing a a hammer. Another friend started out the same way in the late 60's and moved on to the powered spike puller. You do not want to hear the stories about that machine

**bob_3000** · Aug 9, 2023, 08:37 PM

Amazing skill but I kind of feel he doesn't wail on every spike that hard when the camera is off.

**sossol** · Aug 9, 2023, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by Ram50V8

My dad worked as a "Gandy Dancer" before being drafted in WW2, it was amazing as kid watching him swing a a hammer. Another friend started out the same way in the late 60's and moved on to the powered spike puller. You do not want to hear the stories about that machine

Yes we do.

Neil

**Hoosiersmoker** · Aug 10, 2023, 08:02 AM

I didn't know they even did that manually any more. I hear the pneumatic spike driver all the time at the yard near our house. They sound like shotgun blasts. I'm sure it's because of the sheer volume of rails they have to maintain. That yard is about 100 sets of rails across. It becomes a real pain during busier times. I've waited for 3 trains at a crossing some times. It sucks if you need to go north or south! The underpass just down the road from that has a bridge with 19 rails crossing the road. Needless to say, it gets a bit congested at times especially when they're sitting across all the crossings in the area! I have to travel 2 or 3 miles just to get around them.

**Ralphxyz** · Aug 16, 2023, 06:18 PM

He is only holding the hammer half way, he would get more power if he held it towards the end. Plus he would not have to work as hard.

**bob_3000** · Aug 16, 2023, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Ralphxyz

He is only holding the hammer half way, he would get more power if he held it towards the end. Plus he would not have to work as hard.

He isn't after a full swing, he's working a tight close circle, he doesn't need a weighted swing but an accurate quick one.

**hemmjo** · Aug 17, 2023, 03:55 AM

Anyone who has ever tried to drive a railroad spike with would not find any fault with a guy who can put in a spike with 2 taps and 5 hits. That would be like me trying to teach Steph Curry or Michael Jordan how to play basketball.

"Hey Steph, you are really not doing that right, you should do it this way".