GGG

In the mid-70’s my brother and I got a job of installing a caboose in the
backyard of a wealthy guy just outside of Bryn Mawr, PA.  Pool house, you know.
He had the 40 foot caboose rebuilt professionally and it was broken down into
the main body on one flatbed, and the trucks (wheel sets) and the cupola on
another.  Our job was to re-assemble it with the help of a crane, but first we
had to lay some track.

We poured a couple of concrete footers where the trucks would go, spread a bunch
of course gravel, then laid brand new wooden ties and 50 feet of used rail with
new spikes.  He even went so far as getting 2 real spike hammers with the long
heads as John noted.  He had a third guy there helping us horse the rails around
and bolting lengths, but he was older and we were young bucks.

The spike hammers were definitely the right tool for the job.  We started the
spike with a 3 lb (or so) hammer, then finished with the real thing. You have to
strike from the other side of the rail as that is the direction of the angle of
the spike.  You can see it when you first start hitting it, but then the last
couple of strikes are blind - not too bad. I remember it being a day near 100°
in August and feeling like a real gandy dancer forcing the rails into alignment
before spiking.

ALSO - just spoke to my brother on his 67th birthday today, and he mentioned
that he had to use his Estwing rock hammer today in laying some bluestone.  He
got it for his 7th birthday - he asked for it - so it is 60 years old.  The blue
rubber handle is in excellent condition, and the head shows not much wear after
laying some brick and some bluestone over the years.

Ed Minch