Steel 'Cable' Placard... info?

[Paul M.]

Hey guys,
while railfanning I was walking along the tracks of a local shortline whose tracks date to 1910 and are ex-ATSF... I stumbled upon an old 'Cable' steel placard painted silver, in the roadbed. I've seen others of these, too...

Any information on this?

[Yampa Bob]

Hi Paul
I am surprised the placard was still there, can we assume it is now in your collection?     Judging from the screw holes, it might have been attached to a freight car or something.

I did all kinds of searches and didn't find anything, it is interesting.

I have a small collection of railroad tie date nails I retrieved from old ties laying beside the tracks through our ranch, some date back to early 30s.

[cmgn9712]

The ones I am familiar with marked where a power line or signal wires passed under the roadbed so maintenance crews don't tear up the cable

[BIG BEAR]

    Hey Yampa Bob,
    I come across some dated copper nails at a swap meet today, I didn't buy any. He was asking $1 ea. He had about 40 or so.
    I did buy from that same vendor an old tyco billboard whistle. Still have to test it though. Now I have one for each of the granddaughter's.

          Enjoy,
    Barry

[Yampa Bob]

Hi Barry,

A dealer friend in Kansas had a box full of old nails, he let me pick out some when I was at his shop last year. 

When UP replaced all the ties here, they left a lot of the old spikes along the roadbed.  I picked up some, thought they might make a good hat rack.

[pdlethbridge]

Or tie rack......

[grumpy]

Or backscratcher.
Don

[Yampa Bob]