Railroad Spike

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A railroad spike, also called rail spike, railway spike, track spike, rail spike, railroad spike, or railroad tie nail, is one of the crucial rail fasteners used to fix rail tracks and railroad sleepers, which plays a key role in railway settings. They usually adopt carbon steel or stainless steel materials, such as Q235 carbon steel, Q345B carbon steel, etc., to ensure high strength and durability.

Railroad spike functions

Usually, railroad spikes have great durability and corrosion resistance that stand for long train operations and environmental effects. Their special design plays a supporting role in evenly spreading pressure caused by trains to rairoad sleepers and ground and reducing the rails and the support structures damage caused by pressure.

Above all, through nailed-in sleepers, railroad spikes can fix the orbit position and ensure the railway systems’ stability and safety, preventing rail shifts and traffic accidents.

Types of spikes in railway

According to the shape, feature, function, and uses, railroad spikes usually divide into two major categories: dog spikes and screw spikes. And under screw spikes, there are smaller classifications, including Ss series sleeper screw, square-head screw spike round head screw spike, hexagon screw spike, double-head screw spike, etc.

Dog spike

Dog spike, also known as plain cut spike, or railroad tie spike, is a frequently used railroad fastening part to fix railroad and sleeper.

Dog spike advantages and uses

Dog spikes have a high fixed force, are easy to fasten, and have economic advantages. They are more suitable for wooden sleepers, and most traditional railroads which are part of light rails or railroads that need frequent maintenance and replacement. Because of their low costs, they are especially suitable for large-scale use.

Contour features of dog spike

Just like their name, the spikes have a special and cute appearance that looks like a dog’s head. Their head shape usually has an off-center head and twin flanges. The heads’ off-center design adds the contact area between the spike with railroads and sleepers to provide a more stable fasten effect and the head is always wide and flat, easy to hammer. Meanwhile, the twin flanges help to add holding power and stability. As for their shaft bottom, there is a cutting-edge design that helps to insert the sleepers or track slab, providing good penetration and fixation force.

Dog spikes usually adopt high-strength carbon steel or stainless steel materials, such as Q235 carbon steel, Q345B carbon steel, etc., to ensure high strength and durability.

Dog spike parameters

Our company’s railroad spikes are sold to countries all over the world, and we can produce multiple area standards dog spikes, like dog spikes that meet AREMA, UIC, DIN, GOST, GB, TB, etc. requirements.

Technical specifications of dog spike
Standards: AREMA, UIC, DIN, GOST, GB, TB or others following customer needs	Model: according to customer needs	Type: spike
Head type: various kinds	Neck type: various kinds	Function: to fix rails
Applied range: to fasten rails of the railroad bed	Body type: various kinds	Length available: 10 – 1000（mm）
Tolerance: according to customer needs	Surface finish: plain oil, black, HDG, galvanized, etc.	Material: Q235、35#、45#、60#、16Mn、65 Mn、40Cr、20MnTiB、35CrMo、42CrMo
Grade：3.6、4.6、4.8、5.6、5.8、6.8、8.8、9.8、10.9、12.9	Spike specifications: according to customer drawings	Free samples and product customizing available

Among them, taking railroad engineering standards in the United States for example, AREMA road spike standard sizes usually are 5/8″×6″, 3/8″×3″, 3/8″×3-1/2″，1/2″×4-1/2 “，5/8″×5-1/2″, 9/16″×5 1/2″, 5/8″×7″, 11/16″×7 1/2” and so on.

The most popular track spikes are the 5/8” ×6” and 9/16” ×5-1/2” for smaller rail sections, especially in North America and the US market.

Specification	Material	Surface	Standard	Packaging
5/8×6 ”	A3, Q235, 45#,55#, etc.	According to customer needs.	A3, Q235, 45#, 55#, etc. Or according to the customer’s drawings or samples.	In 200lbs, 100lbs or 50lbs kegs. Or according to the customer’s requirements
3/8″×3″
3/8’’×3-1/2
1/2×4-1/2
5/8″×5-1/2″
9/16×5-1/2”
5/8″×7″
11/16″×7 1/2″
Other kinds

Screw spike

Screw spikes are also called railway sleeper screws, railroad tie nails, or rail screw spikes. It’s a fastener, especially used to fasten the railroad. Just like dog spikes, they usually adopt high-strength carbon steel or stainless steel materials, and through heat treatment technology to add their strength and durability. However, due to the screw spikes’ complicated process, they usually have a higher price than dog spikes.

Different from traditional dog spikes, screw spikes have screw thread. They do not like the dog spike needing to be installed by hammer beating. They install by rotating insert with the help of a wrench or special power tool (e.g. electric screw spike gun).

Screw spike uses

With the help of the screw threads’ embedment force, the sleeper screws have stronger holding force and higher durability. They are especially suitable for wooden and concrete sleepers and are widely used in modern railways and heavy haul railway systems.

Features of screw spike

In shapes, screw spikes’ heads are usually circle, square, or hexagon shape, which is convenient to use a wrench to install and remove.

Many different kinds of thread patterns are designed carefully for the thread distance and depth on the railway sleeper screw shanks, which helps to ensure the railway sleeper screws’ largest fixed strength and withdrawal force, and the shanks’ diameter and length are usually customized according to the apply requirements to provide enough fixed depth and strength.

In addition, screw spikes’ tails are usually a flat head or slightly rounded shape, not cutting-edge. That can prevent the spikes from penetrating the sleepers and destroy the underneath structures. What’s more, using a flat head designed tail also adds the spikes’ stability in the sleepers, and it is easy to remove railroad spikes from sleepers.

The following are the detailed classified railroad screw spikes we sell:

Ss series sleeper screw

Ss series sleeper screw is one of our star products. It sells very well. Ss series sleeper screws are applied widely in various types of railroad (such as ordinary railway and high-speed railway), especially suitable where long-term stability is needed. They both fit the situations with general fixed force and higher fixed force.

Type	Specification	Weight/kg	Surface	Standard
Ss1/130	M22*130	0.451	Natural, Zinc, Paint, Oil, or according to your needs.	UIC, AREMA, GB, or according to your drawings or samples.
Ss1/150	M22*150	0.478
Ss2/180	M22*180	0.595
Ss5/150	M24*150	0.545
Ss6/150	M26*150	0.702
Ss7/180	M24*180	0.636
Ss8/140	M24*140	0.528
Ss8/150	M24*150	0.548

Square-head screw spike

Just as its name, the square-head screw spike has one square head and another end is the thread. Under most circumstances, although they are suitable for occasions requiring high fixed force, they still mainly apply to traditional wooden sleepers and do not fit concrete sleepers.

Type	Specification	Material	Surface	Standard
Square head screw spike	M22*145	45#	Natural	UIC AREMA DIN GB or according to your drawings or samples.
	M22*155	55Q	Zinc
	M22*165	Q235	Paint
	M22*185	or	Oil
	M22*195	According to your needs.	According to your needs.
	other kinds

Hexagon screw spike

The hexagon screw spike’s one head is a hexagon, which makes it easy to install and screw down, providing good fixed force and another end is the thread. They are suitable for railway systems needing relatively higher fixed force and stability, such as high-speed railways and high-volume railway lines. They especially apply to concrete sleepers and some modern railway construction.

Grade	4.6	5.6	8.8	10.9
Material	Q235	35#	45#	40Cr
Mechanical	Tensile strength: Tensile strength: ≥ 400Mpa	Tensile strength: ≥ 500Mpa	Tensile strength: ≥ 800Mpa	Tensile strength: ≥1000Mpa
	Yield strength: ≥ 240Mpa	Yield strength: ≥ 300Mpa	Yield strength: ≥ 640Mpa	Yield strength: ≥ 900Mpa
	Elongation: ≥ 22%	Elongation: ≥ 20%	Elongation: ≥ 12%	Elongation: ≥ 9%
	Cold bending: 90 degrees
	Without Crack
Surface	Plain (oiled), oxide black, zinc, HDG, wax, bitumen, dacromet, Sherardizing

Double-head screw spike

Double-head screw spikes have two threaded ends, one end used in railway tracks and another end used in sleepers. This helps to provide extra fixed force and stability. They are always widely used in concrete sleepers, especially the situations needing higher fixed force and structural stability, such as heavy haul rails and high-speed rails.

Size	23×174
Grade	4.6, 5.6, 8.8, 10.9
Raw Material	Q235, 35#, 45#
Surface Treatment	Plain (oiled), bluing, zinc, HDG, etc.

Comparison of dog spikes and screw spikes

Characteristic	Dog spike	Railway sleeper screw
Shape	One head is hooked, and the end is cusp	Screw thread, one end nut
Material	Carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steel	Carbon steel, high-strength steel, stainless steel
Install	Hand-operated tool	Wrench
Fixed force	Medium	Strong
Applicable sleeper	Wooden sleeper, concrete sleeper	Concrete sleeper, steel rail
Cost	Lower	Higher
Applied environment	General railway	Heavy-duty, high-speed railway

why choose us?

AGICO is a professional railroad spike manufacturer with decades of production experience.

We have already gotten the ISO 9001/2008 authentication and our production process is in full accordance with the ISO 9001-2008 quality system.

In addition, we have complete testing equipment, ensuring all rail spikes’ quality can arrive at our customs requirements, and we attach great importance to the control and management of product quality.

Railroad spike production process:

One railroad spike’s production needs to experience the following procedure:

Raw material → Wiredrawing → Rod cutting → Head forming → Edge cutting → Thread rolling → Heating treatment → Surface treatment → Final inspection → Packing → Shipment.

Quality control of railroad spike

When purchasing raw materials, we closely check production batch number, chemical composition, mechanical properties, and other detection indicators.
We stipulate our quality inspector adopt the methods of the combination of sample sampling, and batch testing and examine the material quality certificate of the raw material to ensure the product quality.
We will make corresponding chemical tests and physical tests according to the different product requirements, If the product is unqualified, we will deny it to reception until we are satisfied.
What’s more, we usually organize quality control and coordination meetings to make technical acid and guidance, aiming at sending the certified products to our customs’ hands.

Full service

We provide professional consulting about railroad spikes and their relevant suitability, fast logistics delivery, and comprehensive after-sales service. Most importantly, we support customization.

What are railroad spikes made of

Generally, the railroad spikes we produce and sell can be made of carbon steel or stainless steel based on different use environments and guests’ other requirements.

Carbon steel is high-strength and economical. It is suitable for most generic railroad fasten, especially for environments that are without the requirement of resist corrosion.

Stainless steel has outstanding decay resistance, and railroad spikes made of this material are suitable for railway environment that needs great corrosion resistance, such as coastal areas and humid environments.

We provide railway sleeper screw material mainly including the following materials: Q235, 55Q, A3, 35#, 45#, 60#, 16Mn, 65Mn, 40Cr, 20MnTiB, 35CrMo, 42CrMo, or according to your needs.

According to the customer’s needs, we sell rail spike surfaces that can be plain, black, plain oiled, blasted oiled, hot dipped galvanized, sherardized, zinc plated, HDG, Dacromet, etc.