![]() Sometimes they’ll be a bit of an alloy, with metals like copper mixed in to help make them more malleable. If anything, they’ll have less carbon and therefore won’t get as hard. Rail spikes usually aren’t an exact equivalent though. You won’t see it used for cutting tools, since it won’t hold an edge that well. That’s why it’s commonly seen in applications like heavy duty gears and shafts. It’s a “workhorse” steel – it’s tough and can handle a load well. The low carbon spikes are essentially mild steel.ġ045 is heat treatable. That’s about the rough equivalent of a 1045 steel. That’s why a rail spike that’s labeled HC (higher carbon) will only have about 0.4% carbon. In the standard it actually says that it must conform to the requirements for A36 steel, which is public information. This is the higher carbon steel Category 3 This is where it states that there are 3 general categories of track spike. It’s a current standard that controls the requirements for railroad spikes, and it was last reviewed back in 2013. That’s the standard that I’m drawing my information from. So the metal needs to be soft enough to bend without shattering. So it’s not practical for it to be too hard.īut a rail spike that’s bent can still do its job. If you whack it with a hammer, it’ll crack.Ī shattered rail spike holds no track (ancient Chinese proverb? If it’s not it should be). ![]() When a steel has a high carbon content and is heat treated so that it’s hard, it becomes more brittle. It needs to be strong and tough to do its job. It’s not subjected to wear like the track is. Required PropertiesĪ railroad spike holds the track in place. Ok, to understand what the material is like, we should preface this with what it’s intended to do. ![]()
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