How to improve the service life of rail spikes?
To improve the service life of rail spikes, regularly inspect them for wear, damage, or corrosion and maintain their tightness. Additionally, enhance their durability by applying anti-corrosive coatings or selecting corrosion-resistant alloy spikes, and use standardized, non-damaging installation techniques.
Maintenance and inspection
- Conduct regular inspections: Periodically check for signs of wear, deformation, corrosion, or damage.
- Check and maintain tightness: Ensure spikes are tight, re-enforcing them if they become loose due to vibration.
- Replace when necessary: Replace spikes that are significantly corroded, deformed, or have lost their fixing function. Always replace them with products of the same specification and material.
- Clean surface: Regularly clean spikes, especially reflective ones, to ensure they function correctly and maintain visibility.
Protective measures
- Use anti-corrosive coatings: Apply coatings like hot-dip galvanizing, zinc, or other special coatings to prevent corrosion.
- Choose corrosion-resistant materials: Opt for spikes made of alloy materials specifically designed to resist corrosion.
- Use anti-corrosive grease: Apply a high-quality anti-corrosion grease that includes fillers, antioxidants, and anti-rust agents.
- Use environmentally-friendly anchoring: Avoid corrosive anchoring materials and use environmentally friendly options like silicate cement instead of sulfur-based agents.
- Apply protective layers: Use composite coatings made of polymers or ceramics, which can reduce damage from rubbing and block electric currents.
Railroad spike types
Screw spike
When first introduced in 1860 in France, then the screw spike shortly became the common railway material in continental Europe. The screw spike, also called rail screw, is a large screw used to fasten any two railway tracks. Besides, it is also used to fix tie plates or fix into a hole bored in the sleeper. Owing to the greater fixing power and the feature that can be combined with spring washers, the cost of manufacture of the screw spike is higher than the rail spike.
| the types of Ss Series Sleeper Screw | Product Name | Specification | Material | Surface | Standard | |
| 1 | Fishtail Bolt | M8-M64 | Q235,45#,55#,etc | Zinc,Plain, Black Oil | UIC,AREMA,JIS,GB or according to your requests. | |
| 2 | Screw Spike | Square Head Screw Spike | M16-M22 *145-200 | |||
| Hexagon Head Screw Spike | ||||||
| Other Types | ||||||
| Type | Specification | Weight/kg | Surface | Standard | ||
| 3 | Sleeper Screw | Ss 1/130 | M22*130 | 0.451 | Zinc,Plain, Black Oil | UIC,AREMA,JIS,GB or according to your requests. |
| Ss 1/150 | M22*150 | 0.478 | ||||
| Ss 2/180 | M22*180 | 0.595 | ||||
| Ss 5/150 | M24*150 | 0.545 | ||||
| Ss 6/130 | M26*130 | 0.658 | ||||
| Ss 6/150 | M26*150 | 0.702 | ||||
| Ss 6/170 | M26*170 | 0.385 | ||||
| Ss 7/180 | M24*180 | 0.636 | ||||
| Ss 8/140 | M24*140 | 0.528 | ||||
| Ss 8/150 | M24*150 | 0.548 | ||||
| Ss 8/160 | M24*160 | 0.568 | ||||
| Ss 23/160 | M23*160 | 0.645 | ||||
| Ss 24/165 | M24*165 | 0.59 | ||||
| Ss 25/165 | M25*165 | 0.625 | ||||
Dog Spikes
Dog spike is another important component of railroad spikes. Because of the two lugs on either side, the dog spike looks just like the dog's head. Just like the screw spikes, the dog spikes have the similar dimensions. But as to the head, it has a pointed penetrating head.
| Specification | Material | Surface | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/8×6 '' | A3,Q235, 45#,55#, etc | According to customer needs. | According to customer's drawings or samples. |
| 9/16×5-1/2 '' | |||
| 3/8''×3-1/2 '' | |||
| 1/2×3-1/2 | |||
| Other kinds |
GNEE RAIL is a leading manufacturer of rail spikes and other rail fasteners. We provide a complete line of products, including rail fastening system, rail anchor, rail joint, rail clip, dog spike, rail screw spike, anchor bolt, rail clamp plate, and fishplate bolt for connecting rail tracks. We also make rail fastenings for crane rail and elevator guide rail, along with other related products. We manufacture according to GB/TB (Chinese national standards and railway standards), AREA, UIC, BS, DIN, ASTM, and AS standards.
