Name/Title
NailEntry/Object ID
2021.099.0011Description
101 Railroad Tie Date Nails
This collection contains 101 date nails from years 1910 to 1962. They are made of steel and are 2 1/4" and 2 1/2" in length. The nail heads vary in shapes and sizes.
In early years of date nail, all dates were indented in the head. A "4" or "04" indicated the year 1904.
Letter nails stood for type of treatment a tie received, the quality of a tie, or the timber the tie was made from.
Most date nails were made of steel, although some metals used were copper, malleable iron, and after 1940's aluminum. Date nails were used until 1970.Collection
Benicia Industrial Collection