Hi guy's, no look on our facebook group, so I will ask over here. Does anyone know what the hell this thing is?? It was found outside of our fence by a detectorist who kindly donated it. The tag with the 1 on it is a bakelight type material. Could it be from a switcher or something or is it off of our 4-8-2 Locomotive???

What’s the history of your location? That might help with the guesses.

If it's CNR 6069, it's a U-1-f 4-8-2 displayed in Sarnia, Ont.

http://www.cnrha.ca/node/704/

Phil Mulligan

A couple years ago I bought 4 Duff Norton air jacks. Don't remember if I knew where they came out of? But all were tagged and numbered with record of last inspection. These possibly came out of North Fondulac Soo Line shop complex but who knows. I doubt yours came from an air jack but point is it could also of come off of a machine or tool and not necessarily the locomotive? What throws me is the chain so it is interesting to find out what it had been attached too. Good luck on the hunt.

Regards, John

Thanks guy's not sure what it could be from either and yes it was found near 6069 in Sarnia. It didn't look like anything from the locomotive itself.

Rabies vaccination tag?

That tag has no structural strength. Could this be a security chain, perhaps for a version of blue-lighting or tag/lockout? The chain is hefty for that, but might have been 'repurposed' to save money.

That is a tag normally attached to a cows for identification. Marketed as a neck tag.

Not sure Overmod? It is a hefty chain hence my thinking railway related

It is indeed a hefty chain -- far heftier than the 'weakest link' tag could support; in fact I'd suspect even that chain's weight might damage the tag. On one side, with an unjoined 'cold shut' or opened link through the tag hole.

The chain on the 'bottom' side is much lighter, and is attached with one of those screw-closed light links.

Could it be repurposed load-binding chain, to secure a load or stock of something 'not to be tampered with'?

Which means that someone just hung it on the opened link for convenience; it's not part of the rig at all. Meanwhile, the repair link is used to join the ends of two light chains, like would be used to restrain welding tanks. The tag likely indicated when the tanks were changed, or by whom. Either way, not related to the locomotive. I don't even think those quick link repair links date back to the steam days. Anybody know?

Probably good to identify anything you want, but I see these all the time in boiler rooms, sprinkler rooms, plants, etc, they are hung around the valves and there will be a chart nearby that tells you what each valve does.

Numbered tags are frequently nailed to trees in forest research plots.

Good practice is to use aluminum tags and nails to prevent damage to saws and sawmill equipment if the trees are ever harvested.

I asked about the site’s history as that could help explain what the tag may be for. What was there “way back in the day” prior to moving the locomotive to that particular spot? 1951 aerial shows nothing but a 1930s topo shows a spur there. Could also be just a bit of trash drug there and left in the dirt.

Unless I’m looking in the wrong spot.

The spur line is still there as it feeds to the Grain elevators that Cargill own