Agreed. They are not my preference. Nor are utility poles.
I was embarrassed to work on one project where the previous surveyor had placed a railroad spike in a huge white pine tree, painted concentric circles around it (like a bullseye) and painted TBM in what seemed like 3-feet high letters. Shame.
Also,everyone should make note, taking railroad spikes from along the tracks is not okay. You should be buying them if you intend to use them for any purpose.
staples for "Lost Dog-Reward" posters.?ÿ Safety issue for pole climbers.?ÿ
Staples and small nails are probably more of a hazard than a big spike, because they can cause cuts in people, their clothes, harnesses, and worst of all in insulating gloves.
I don't know about legalities, but spikes/nails in trees can be very dangerous. Up here in Nor Cal eco protesters set nails and spikes in trees they know are going to be cut down as it can damage equipment and injure workers. Think about using a chain saw on a tree, hitting a hidden spike, the chain snaps and flings out. People have been killed by this.
find the bench mark...
Also,everyone should make note, taking railroad spikes from along the tracks is not okay. You should be buying them if you intend to use them for any purpose.
seriously?
Yes, when I worked for the railroad, they said it in one of our seminars. Scrap or loose is not okay to take.
Also if you are in the right-of-way (private property) without a flag man it is considered "fouling the tracks"
and trespassing.
yes, I remember learning that was a no no at my first surveying job ever, way back in 1992.
You should be buying them if you intend to use them for any purpose.
Buying them from someone else that walked along and picked them up? At least you have deniability.
A lot of nails and bearing tree tags are aluminum for this reason.
Old ones cost extra, from what I am told. Apparently, the older ones have a higher carbon content, and can be used to make knives, tools, etc.
