An improved rail anchoring spike that includes barbs is used for fastening metal to ties. The spike includes a head having one or more flanges and a stand-off extending axially from the flange(s). The spike includes a shank extending axially from the stand-off to form a tapered tip. The shank is adapted to engage dense material of the tie by a combination of threads and barbs on the shank. The threads are generally parallel and extend over a threaded portion of the shank. The shank includes a plurality of barbs positioned in a lower half of the threaded portion. Each barb is positioned between a pair of threads. Each barb is configured to minimize damage to fibers of the tie during installation of the spike as the fibers relax behind, and engage with, a barbed end. This prevents movement of the spike over time despite deterioration of the tie.

Described herein are a low-cost, non-destructive, and contact-free intelligent inspection system that is field-deployable on a geometry car, high-rail vehicle, or other types of track inspection platforms to identify broken railway/railroad spikes in real-time.

An improved rail anchoring spike that includes barbs is used for fastening metal to ties. The spike includes a head having one or more flanges and a stand-off extending axially from the flange(s). The spike includes a shank extending axially from the stand-off to form a tapered tip. The shank is adapted to engage dense material of the tie by a combination of threads and barbs on the shank. The threads are generally parallel and extend over a threaded portion of the shank. The shank includes a plurality of barbs positioned in a lower half of the threaded portion. Each barb is positioned between a pair of threads. Each barb is configured to minimize damage to fibers of the tie during installation of the spike as the fibers relax behind, and engage with, a barbed end. This prevents movement of the spike over time despite deterioration of the tie.

An improved rail anchoring spike that includes barbs is used for fastening metal to ties. The spike includes a head having one or more flanges and a stand-off extending axially from the flange(s). The spike includes a shank extending axially from the stand-off to form a tapered tip. The shank is adapted to engage dense material of the tie by a combination of threads and barbs on the shank. The threads are generally parallel and extend over a threaded portion of the shank. The shank includes a plurality of barbs positioned in a lower half of the threaded portion. Each barb is positioned between a pair of threads. Each barb is configured to minimize damage to fibers of the tie during installation of the spike as the fibers relax behind, and engage with, a barbed end. This prevents movement of the spike over time despite deterioration of the tie.

A railroad tie plate has a generally prismatic body including a field side flange and a gauge side flange connected by an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion includes a rail seat for positioning a railroad rail. The field side flange includes a first retaining device accommodating portion, such as a first hole, configured to receive a first retaining device, such as a spike configured to secure the railroad rail to the rail seat. The field side flange further includes a fixed retainer that is a monolithic part of the railroad tie plate. The fixed retainer extends in the thickness dimension away from the bottom surface of the railroad tie plate and toward the gauge side, and overhangs the rail seat. The fixed retainer is configured to prevent the railroad rail from moving in the thickness dimension.

A railroad tie plate has a generally prismatic body including a field side flange and a gauge side flange connected by an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion includes a rail seat for positioning a railroad rail. The field side flange includes a first retaining device accommodating portion, such as a first hole, configured to receive a first retaining device, such as a spike configured to secure the railroad rail to the rail seat. The field side flange further includes a fixed retainer that is a monolithic part of the railroad tie plate. The fixed retainer extends in the thickness dimension away from the bottom surface of the railroad tie plate and toward the gauge side, and overhangs the rail seat. The fixed retainer is configured to prevent the railroad rail from moving in the thickness dimension.

An improved rail anchoring spike that includes barbs is used for fastening metal to ties. The spike includes a head having one or more flanges and a stand-off extending axially from the flange(s). The spike includes a shank extending axially from the stand-off to form a tapered tip. The shank is adapted to engage dense material of the tie by a combination of threads and barbs on the shank. The threads are generally parallel and extend over a threaded portion of the shank. The shank includes a plurality of barbs positioned in a lower half of the threaded portion. Each barb is positioned between a pair of threads. Each barb is configured to minimize damage to fibers of the tie during installation of the spike as the fibers relax behind, and engage with, a barbed end. This prevents movement of the spike over time despite deterioration of the tie.

An improved rail anchoring spike that includes barbs is used for fastening metal to ties. The spike includes a head having one or more flanges and a stand-off extending axially from the flange(s). The spike includes a shank extending axially from the stand-off to form a tapered tip. The shank is adapted to engage dense material of the tie by a combination of threads and barbs on the shank. The threads are generally parallel and extend over a threaded portion of the shank. The shank includes a plurality of barbs positioned in a lower half of the threaded portion. Each barb is positioned between a pair of threads. Each barb is configured to minimize damage to fibers of the tie during installation of the spike as the fibers relax behind, and engage with, a barbed end. This prevents movement of the spike over time despite deterioration of the tie.

An improved rail anchoring spike that includes a conical swell adapted to engage with a hole in a metal tie plate during fastening of the metal tie plate to a tie. The conical swell has a smaller diameter toward a pointed end of the spike and a larger diameter toward a head of the spike. The smaller diameter is slightly larger than a diameter of a body of the spike. An angle formed by the conical swell relative to a center line passing through a center of the body of the spike matches an angle of the hole in the metal tie plate relative to a center of the hole.

An improved rail anchoring spike that includes a conical swell adapted to engage with a hole in a metal tie plate during fastening of the metal tie plate to a tie. The conical swell has a smaller diameter toward a pointed end of the spike and a larger diameter toward a head of the spike. The smaller diameter is slightly larger than a diameter of a body of the spike. An angle formed by the conical swell relative to a center line passing through a center of the body of the spike matches an angle of the hole in the metal tie plate relative to a center of the hole.