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Nails · AREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2 · Application guide

What Are Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes Used For?

Typical applications, the industries that specify railroad cut and dog spikes, and how to choose the right size, material and finish for the joint.

Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes are used for driving a square-shank spike with an offset head into a timber sleeper for rail retention. They are manufactured to AREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2, and selection is driven by the screw size, the fit and tolerance the assembly requires, and the service environment.

Primary duty
Driving a square-shank spike with an offset head into a timber sleeper for rail retention
Governing standard
AREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2
Screw size range
5-1/2 to 6
Category
Nails

Application notes are general engineering guidance. Verify the property class and any approval requirement against your own design calculation.

What Are Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes Used For? application image

Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes are selected when an assembly calls for driving a square-shank spike with an offset head into a timber sleeper for rail retention. This application guide to the AREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2 type covers concrete end-uses, the specification checklist, correct installation, and where an alternative fastener performs better. Stocked across roughly 5 to 6, they cover light-duty and instrument-scale work.

Typical Applications for Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes

The most common settings where these are specified:

  • Rail construction: Cut and dog spikes anchor rail components to timber sleepers.
  • Track maintenance: Square shanks and offset heads support the documented rail-spike form.
  • Railway fabrication: 5-1/2 and 6 in layouts cover the supplied spike examples.
  • Infrastructure repair: Steel spikes are driven as a permanent track fastening.

How to Specify Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes for Your Application

  • Size: Select on screw size, and confirm it against the mating feature in the assembly. This product spans 5–6; check the full table below for the exact dimensions of each size.
  • Material: Choose the material and finish for the service environment — plated steel for general use, stainless for corrosion resistance.
  • Environment: For damp, coastal or chemical exposure prefer A4/316 stainless or a suitable coating; indoors, plated steel or A2 is usually sufficient.
  • Standard: This product is supplied to AREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2. Quoting the standard on your order guarantees interchangeable dimensions between suppliers.

Where Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes Are Not the Right Choice

Not for joints needing later removal or high withdrawal resistance — a screw holds far better in tension.

Technical Drawing

Customize the parameters below — every spec field is editable, and the drawing redraws to match the values you choose. Changing the size will snap the other fields to that size's standard values; you can then override any individual value.

Sends the selected values to the quote form below.

Request a Quote

The form below follows the current technical drawing configuration. Change the drawing values above and the request details update automatically.

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Specification
Business Information

Dimensions & Specifications (AREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2)

Spike length (in)Square shank (in)Head length (in)Head width (in)Head formReference standard
5-1/29/161-1/21-1/4offset / dog headAREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2
65/81-9/161-5/16offset / dog headAREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2
Inside the plant

Manufactured in our own plant

This part is cold-formed, threaded, heat-treated and finished in-house. The stages below are where its class and finish are actually decided.

  1. Wire rod feeding into a cold heading machine
    01

    Cold heading

    Wire rod is drawn to size and cold-formed into blanks. Forming rather than cutting keeps the grain flow continuous around the head, which is where a bolt is most likely to fail.

    Head dimensions and under-head radius checked at set-up and per shift.

  2. Thread rolling machine producing bolt threads
    02

    Thread rolling

    Threads are rolled between hardened dies rather than cut. Rolled threads are stronger in fatigue than cut threads and hold pitch and flank angle far more consistently across a batch.

    Go / no-go ring gauges to ISO 965 tolerance class 6g.

  3. Baskets of bolts staged for heat treatment
    03

    Heat treatment

    Quench-and-temper brings carbon and alloy steel to the property class ordered — 8.8, 10.9 or 12.9 — with the furnace charge tracked so a finished lot can be traced back to it.

    Core hardness and tensile tested per lot to ISO 898-1.

  4. Zinc plated bolts in a treatment basket
    04

    Surface treatment

    Zinc, zinc-nickel, hot-dip galvanizing, black oxide, phosphate and Dacromet, selected against the service environment rather than against the price list.

    Coating thickness and neutral salt spray hours to ISO 9227.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes hold as well as screws?

Nails resist shear well and drive fast, but screws hold far better in withdrawal (tension). Use screws where the joint is loaded in pull-out or may need removal.

Are Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes made to a recognized standard?

Yes — they are manufactured to AREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2, so dimensions are interchangeable between suppliers when you quote the standard on your order.

What are Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes used for?

Driving a square-shank spike with an offset head into a timber sleeper for rail retention. They are supplied to AREMA MRE Chapter 5, Part 2.

Which industries use Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes?

They are commonly specified in track maintenance, railway fabrication and infrastructure repair, among other sectors.

Can I get a quote for Railroad Cut and Dog Spikes in the size and material I need?

Yes. Use the technical drawing and quote form on this page to set the size and options, then send the exact configuration to our team for pricing and lead time.