AndyHall
Colonel
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2011
Original LoC caption: "Military railroad operations in northern Virginia: soldier and another man standing at railroad tracks in front of locomotive." Not very helpful, really. Said to be 1862 or '63.
oh thanks, that had to be a crummy job!!! oh I for got to tell you what a great photo its different!!!!I think they may be handles for carrying t-rail.
Are we sure that's not James N. on the right in a Throwback Thursday pic?View attachment 21847
Original LoC caption: "Military railroad operations in northern Virginia: soldier and another man standing at railroad tracks in front of locomotive." Not very helpful, really. Said to be 1862 or '63.
They are devices to aid in tearing up tracks. The feet at the free ends hook around the rail flange and give mechanical advantage twisting heated up rail.What did they use the things for, that look like draft shoes but there not!!! they must be 5 pds each. what the heck are they for??? any one know??
Thanks for the explanation! I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking they just pulled up the rails, heated them in a fire and twisted them around trees or rocks....View attachment 151153
Thanks to a member of the Pre-1895 Railroads & Steam Engines Facebook group, this question is answered -- those implements are steel hooks used for twisting rail. They're described (along with this same picture) in Herman Haupt's autobiography:
Other experiments were made on old sidings near Alexandria to determine the best mode of rapidly destroying tracks. The usual mode adopted by the enemy had been to tear up the rails, pile the cross ties, place the rails upon them, set the pile on fire, and bend the rails when heated. I found this mode entirely too slow, as several hours were required to heat the rails sufficiently and, when bent, we could generally straighten them for use in a few minutes, in fact, in less than one-tenth of the time required to heat and bend them.
We had been experimenting for some time with no results that I considered satisfactory, when one day Smeed came into my office with a couple of U-shaped irons in his hands (see illustration on page 111) and exclaimed: "I've got it!" "Got what?" I asked. "Got the thing that will tear up track as quickly as you can say 'Jack Robinson,' and spoil the rails so that nothing but a rolling mill can ever repair them."
"That is just what I want," was my reply; "but how are you to do it with that pair of horseshoes ?"
He explained his plan. The irons were turned up and over at the ends so as firmly to embrace the base of the rail. Into the cavity of the U a stout lever of wood was to be inserted. A rope at the end of the lever would allow half a dozen men to pull upon it and twist the rail. When the lever was pulled down to the ground and held there, another iron was to be placed beside it, and another twist given, then the first iron removed and the process repeated four or five times until a corkscrew twist was given to the rail. After hearing the explanation, I said: "I think it will do; let us go at once and try it." Smeed's plan was found to answer perfectly, and the problem of the simplest and quickest mode of destroying track was satisfactorily solved.
They did plenty of that, too. But Haupt believed that twisting them longitudinally (like a licorice stick) was both faster and much harder to fix once the Union army had moved on.Thanks for the explanation! I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking they just pulled up the rails, heated them in a fire and twisted them around trees or rocks....
Thanks for your response.They did plenty of that, too. But Haupt believed that twisting them longitudinally (like a licorice stick) was both faster and much harder to fix once the Union army had moved on.
Folks on FB tell me that the man at left, holding the implements, is Haupt himself.
I've seen both Haupt's and Smeed's pictures, and I'm agnostic on which is which.Well, since this is the place for hopelessly arcane opinions, let me just opine that the man mentioned in the article as the inventor, an engineer named E. C. Smeed - appears to be the guy holding the devi es.
There is CDV picture of him readily available with a search engine but I'm on my phone and can't post it.
Maybe some other kind soul can do so.
Anyway, with all due respect to the railroad fb guys, I think the man is Smeed, not Haupt who, as a Union Army Major General, you'd expect to see in uniform.
Thanks for your response.
I recall seeing a period illustration in my high school history book discussion of Sherman's March that showed the 'pretzel bending' around trees. That has always stuck with me. Now I know someone came up with a better idea.
See sketch below: pardon my crappy drawing.They are devices to aid in tearing up tracks. The feet at the free ends hook around the rail flange and give mechanical advantage twisting heated up rail.
Thanks for your response.Ditto with me, Sherman's Neckties has always been the lasting image.
They did plenty of that, too. But Haupt believed that twisting them longitudinally (like a licorice stick) was both faster and much harder to fix once the Union army had moved on.