Railway detonators - GIF

**Altair** · Dec 14, 2021, 08:14 AM

Railway detonators or torpedoes are small explosives used to warn train drivers about railway hazards.

Previously:

Evolution of railway signaling - video
Railroad switchman lantern hand signal - photo and video
Railway semaphore signals - photo
Optical scanning inspection train - GIF
WWII U.S. Army train sabotage crash test - video

**tlnixon** · Dec 14, 2021, 07:51 PM

I had a friend who used to work on the Rock Island Railroad years ago. He said many years ago he took several of those railroad torpedoes and taped them around a real M-80 firecracker with electrical tape. He lit it and threw it into a cornfield behind his house one night. He said when it went off the bright blast shut off all the streetlights for blocks around and lights started coming on in houses. He said the next day he went out in the cornfield to look at the damage. He said there was about a 3 foot circle where there was no corn plants and it looked like the soil had been tilled.

He said the corn started with stubs barely sticking-up and got progressively taller full corn stalks. Today one would probably go to federal prison for something like that. He passed away a few years ago so I think it's safe to repeat his story.

**hemmjo** · Dec 15, 2021, 03:01 AM

Oh yes, real M-80's were so fun.

**neilbourjaily** · Dec 18, 2021, 07:05 PM

Just for funnsies
https://www.suttonag.com/bird_bangers.html#

**Frank S** · Dec 18, 2021, 10:27 PM

It would be nice to have one of those in the fall when the crackles descend upon the area'
However, my Keltec KSG with 30 rounds of 1 3/4" mini 12 ga shells packing 71/2 shot does a great job

**hemmjo** · Dec 19, 2021, 04:18 AM

Originally Posted by neilbourjaily

Just for funnsies
https://www.suttonag.com/bird_bangers.html#

OH my those look FUN!!!! Temping to get some of those, but too many houses going up around us. Have not moved but don't live in the country anymore.

The crackles reminds me of a story. I was in High School, we had a shelf type bird feeder with sunflower seeds for the Cardinals. No kidding, if the feeder was empty, one of the cardinals would sit on the gutter carrying on. My dad would open the window, shake the can, that bird would hop down onto the feeder as my dad put more seed onto it.

As the crackles do, they started chasing away the cardinals. I had some small fire crackers. Wired one up on the end of an extension cord. Put it in the feeder, ran the plug into the window, told my mom, "when the crackles come, sneak down below the window so they don't see you, plug this into the outlet"

HA she was sure mad when I got home from school the next day!! She said all she saw was feathers after she was able to compose herself after the BIG BANGBut we all got a good laugh from it. Only took 3-4 more days to keep them away.

Ah fun times!!!