Unknown Iron Object??

[Anonymous]

This Iron object was found around CW relics where confederate troops were stationed to guard a R.R. bridge, tracks and telegraph lines. I found a Richmond spur, bullets, several buttons, horse shoes and other horse related stuff in the close vicinity. It appears to be hand forged possibly from an old R.R. spike. Can anyone ID this object or have any guesses as to what it may be? It has a beveled edge on the big side sort of like a scrapper and the other end is threaded. <img src="/metal/html/shrug.gif" border=0 width=37 height=15 alt=":shrug">
Scott
<img src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11954/100_0037.jpg" alt="" />
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<img src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11954/100_0036.jpg" alt="" />
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<img src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11954/100_0035.jpg" alt="" />
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<img src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11954/100_0033.jpg" alt="" />
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<img src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11954/100_0032.jpg" alt="" />
That's all folks! <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="">

 

[Anonymous]

Scott:
Since no one else will take a stab at this ID I guess I will. I believe what you have found is a railroad ripup tool or a railroad repair tool. It's crude enough to be period. Here is a piece of a picture of some tools used by Sherman's men taking up track around Atlanta. One of the tools they used had an iron shaft screwed into a wooden pole and was used to pry/rip up track. I could readily see your "whatis" doing that. If your RR bridges were burned track would need to be put back or be ripped out .
<p><img border="1" src="http://www.pochefamily.org/weather/relic%20images/rrripuptools.jpg"></p>
What do you think?
Dave Poche

 

[Anonymous]

I really can't see enough detail in the picture to really make it out but I guess it's possible. It's definately wedge shaped and could be used for leverage. The bridge was burnt down twice so they may have done some repairs the first time but I believe they never built it back in that location after the second time. There is another bridge just down river from it where a ford was and more level grade for the train. Thanks for the reply Dave. Oh yeah, I really enjoy the two books on CW camps. Are there any more in the making?
Scott
Here's the abuttments of the old bridge. <IMG SRC="/metal/html/ml.gif" BORDER=0 width=30 height=15 ALT="m~"> <IMG SRC="/metal/html/csflag.gif" BORDER=0 width=22 height=15 ALT="::">

 

[Anonymous]

I get asked a lot about new books. I have an outline for a new one but right now my Poche Associates partners and I are trying to get royalities from the Publisher and we are trying to get our publishing rights back. We have not received royalties for almost 18 months now so it leaves a little sour taste in your mouth. If we get the rights back then I will really need to make some revisions to the first two and will work on the third. All we wanted the royalities to do is give us gas and lunch money and hopefully the books, as they have seen to have done, help others to start or get a little more out of detecting.
There are a lot of new techniques and proceedures that my partners and I have developed since the second book which we would like to share. The use of the GPS to mark locations of relics seems to be growing and there are a lot of new computer programs which can now be used to plot these points on maps and air photos. There are new preservation techniques also. Maybe someday these will get into a third book.
DP

 

[Anonymous]

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