↵Rail Screw Spike Fastening System
The Railway Screw Spike is a threaded mechanical fastener engineered for securing rails to wooden sleepers (ties) through a positive, threaded engagement. Characterized by a coarse-threaded shank and a large, square or hexagonal head, it is installed by being screwed into a pre-drilled pilot hole in the sleeper.
Technical Specifications:
| Aspect | Railway Screw Spike | Railway Dog Spike | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Holding Mechanism | Mechanical Interlock (Threads engaging wood fibers). | Friction & Wedging (Compressed wood fibers). | ||
| Installation Force | Torque (Rotational, controlled via wrench). | Impact (Linear, via hammer blows). | ||
| Uplift Resistance | Very High. | Moderate to Low, degrades with vibration. | ||
| Effect on Sleeper | Less Damaging. Cuts clean threads. | More Damaging. Splits and crushes fibers over time. | ||
| Installation Speed | Slower. Requires drilling/piloting and wrenching. | Faster. Direct hammer driving. | ||
| Skill & Tool Requirement | Higher. Requires drill, torque wrench, more skill. | Lower. Hammer, gauge, basic skill. | ||
| Initial Cost | Higher (spike cost + more labor/time). | Very Low. |
Functional & Engineering Perspective
High Uplift & Creep Resistance: The threaded shank provides a positive mechanical grip within the sleeper, offering superior resistance to the vertical "prying" forces on curves and grades, and to longitudinal rail movement.
Timber Sleeper Preservation: By cutting threads into the wood rather than wedging and splitting fibers, it creates a cleaner, stronger hold with less long-term damage to the sleeper, potentially extending sleeper life.
Critical Location Application: Specified for areas of high dynamic stress, such as tight curves, switch points, rail joints, bridge timbers, and heavy-grade sections where standard spikes are prone to loosening.
Maintenance & Operational Perspective
- Material & Forging: Typically made from medium-carbon steel (e.g., AISI/SAE 1035-1050) or boron-alloyed steel for strength. The blank is hot-forged to shape the head and shank, ensuring strong grain flow.
- Thread Rolling: Threads are formed not by cutting but by cold-rolling under high pressure. This work-hardens the thread surface, improves fatigue resistance, and creates a smoother thread profile that is easier to drive into wood.
- Heat Treatment: Many screw spikes undergo quenching and tempering to achieve a tough, hardened state (often to Rockwell C 25-35), balancing the hardness needed for the threads with the toughness to resist shock during installation.
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