The volumes are paperback, plastic comb bound (like spiral bound), on standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper. It is Special Report #3, University of Indianapolis Archeology and Forensics Laboratory.
Table of contents for Date Nails and Railroad Tie
Preservation
by Jeff Oaks
| Volume I | Page | |
| Introduction | 1 | |
| History of railroad tie preservation | ||
| Contents | 19 | |
| History of railroad tie preservation | 20 | |
| Tables | 64 | |
| Short biography of Octave Chanute | 76 | |
| Railroad listings A-H | 91 |
| Volume II | ||
| Railroad listings I-Y | 185 | |
| Index of railroads without entries | 345 | |
| Treatment company sets | 346 | |
| Shadow sets | 347 | |
| About the author | 352 |
| Volume III | ||
| Photographs of nails | ||
| Introduction to the photographs | 1 | |
| Date nails showing the year only | 5 | |
| Letter nails | 75 | |
| Letter-number tie nails | 95 | |
| Letter number nails | 98 | |
| Single digit code nails | 121 | |
| Switch nails | 142 | |
| Pole height and depth nails | 142 | |
| Descriptions of some nails not shown | 146 | |
| Reverse listing | ||
| Reverse listing | 149 | |
| Index of railroad initials | 198 | |
| Quick guide to shank markings | 203 |
The introduction contains detailed info on notation, a glossary, lists of treatment chemicals and processes, general nail collecting information, and the bibliography.
The railroad listings comprise about 3/4 of the text (Volumes I & II). For each of over 250 North American railroads, a list of date nails they used is given, followed by all info I have on their tie treating and record keeping practices.
These lists form the foundation for the history of railroad tie preservation. No such history had ever been published before, and those article-length histories of wood preservation which have appeared in engineering journals over the years are invariably slanted or give bad information. That is because it takes a careful examination of each railroad's practices to see the whole picture clearly. I am the only one crazy enough to spend years compiling this info!
The reverse listing is extremely helpful. If you have a nail and you don't know what railroad used it, you can look it up here. The reverse listing, about 50 pages long, was created by a computer program I wrote which takes the railroad listings as input.
It took me nearly a decade to write this 561 page book. I corresponded with five dozen nail collectors and read thousands (I lost count after about 2,000) pages photocopied from old railroad engineering journals and books. I issued a first edition, called Date Nails by Railroad in 1994, but it contained only the railroad listings, and those had not yet been well researched.
If you have any questions on date nails, drop me a note. I am always glad to find out what people are pulling and trading. I often help people identify nails, and I learn what is out there.
The cost for the three volume set is $30.00 post
paid. Canadian orders: send US$36.50 in a postal money
order
or Paypal. I ship it book rate (ca. 4-6 days), but if you want
faster
delivery, add $7.00 for 1st class (rates have gone up!). I accept
Paypal (no credit card payments), or send a check or money order to:
Jeff Oaks
Dept. of Mathematics
University of Indianapolis
1400 E. Hanna Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46227.
e-mail: oaks@uindy.edu
Errata for 1st & 2nd printing
Errata for 3rd printing
Errata for 4th printing
Errata for 5th printing
To order, send $6.00 (that includes postage) to: Jerry Waits,
501 W. Blue Bell Rd, #10, Brenham, TX 77833.
Annual membership is $20.00. Send your check to:
Jerry Waits
501 W. Blue Bell Rd #10
Brenham, TX 77833
979-830-1495
SUMMER DATE NAIL SHOW IN PERRY , IOWA ********************************************************************************************
DATES: AUGUST 4-5, 2006 (FRIDAY AND SATURDAY).
LOCATION: ELKS LODGE - PERRY, IOWA. 150 MILES EAST OF OMAHA – 40 MILES FROM DES MOINES
ACCOMODATIONS: SUPER 8 MOTEL (1-800-8000) OR (515-465-5653) Call for reservations
HOTEL PATTEE (515-465-3511)
THERE ARE ALSO ACCOMODATIONS IN GRIMES AND BOONE, IA
Americinn Lodge & Suites Grimes, IA 515-986-9900
AmeriHost Inn & Suites Boone, IA 515-432-8168
SHOW HOST AND CHAIRMAN: LARRY HARVEY SHIRLELARY@PRAIRIENET.NET
Map for Perry, Iowa ====> http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?addr=elks+lodge&csz=perry%2C+iowa&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=
********************************************************************************************
Extra currulicular activities
There will be some flyers with information for a train trip to the Boone & Scenic Valley RR station on Thursday or Saturday available at the show.
------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a photo, taken by Wes Hodges, from the March 23-24, 2001 show
in Shelbyville, KY. It is of Don Blake's marvelous display of
type
nails. What you see is only half of it!: (--1--)
Here are some nice pics of the show taken by Steve Cochran at the Concordia, KS show (July 28 and 29, 2000): (--1--)(--2--)(--3--)(--4--)(--5--)(--6--)(--7--)(--8--)(--9--)
Photos from the Kerville, TX show, which was held in March, 2000
(photos
by Steve Cochran):
(--1--) Show host John
Haifly looks over Don Blake's table
(--2--) Some nice old Rock
Island nails in this one!
(--3--) Santa Fe nails.
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In January 2001 the Forum was revamped and the messages started again from nil. The messages from the old forum are still available for viewing here:
http://www.geocities.com/MadisonAvenue/2591/geobook.html
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