A friend of mine sent me this picture and I'm trying to figure out what it is. My only clue is that it's part of a train and it's not a wheel. Anyone?
First of all welcome to Trainboard! Could be the endplate from a cylinder on a steamer. Do you know the diameter? [ 24 June 2002, 21:32: Message edited by: fitz ]
Welcome! Grimlock: R Watson here. I'm not entirely sure, but judging by the size of the ballast and the grass ,weeds, ect. I;d say that its about an inch in diameter it my well be a drain plug of some kind!
Ok, new clue is: It's something that fell off of the train, and they are commonly found near just about any railroad track. I still don't know the dimensions.
I'll give it two wild guesses. It's an old hatch from a tank car or hopper or something that fell off a flatcar load? I've never encountered anything like that along railroad tracks before.
Looks like it might be a clean-out cover cap that jarred loose and broke its chain. Some empty tank cars have one like this for flushing out an empty tank. There are also some that cap off the steam heating lines used to soften tar, molasses, etc. to enable draining a tanker. You may occasionally see one dangeling from its safety chain as a tanker rolls by. This one has been there long enough to loose its gasket, and rust baddly. Some are up to 4" or more in diameter. I think. [ 26 June 2002, 08:11: Message edited by: watash ]
Looking at this closer, i notice a little piece of wire at the top and the right bottom, i wonder if this isnt a frieght car door seal that goes around the latch when closed , didnt they ban the old time lead type seals a few years ago! ANYBODY!
