Today’s guest post was written by Arnold.
Many years ago I watched a how-to show on TV in which someone had an anvil made from a piece of railroad track. I was impressed by the anvil but was under the impression that it was illegal to possess anything owned by the railroad except the used crossties they sold. In the 1980s I bought a place overlooking the Norfolk Southern Track and having spent some time walking the rails, I decided that their track was bigger than what I had in mind. Further thinking put me in search of a piece of track which came from somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind. Dinky (or donkey) track. I had heard the words but could only surmise its actual physical description. It was supposed to have been used in mines where donkeys or ponies pulled tiny (compared to modern railcars) cars ladened with products extracted from deep inside the earth and in the lumbering industry where entire loads of logs and sawn lumber were moved from place to place. Even the carriage of old circle sawmills rode on tracks.
Now I know what I am looking for! The real challenge was finding it. To everyone I encountered who might have an inkling of what I was talking about, I posed the question “Have you ever heard of dinky or donkey track?” None had any idea! Western North Carolina, where I have spent my entire life, has had its share of mines but none that produced coal. To my understanding these donkey and car railroads were used mostly in the mining of coal, so I was probably barking up the wrong tree if I was going to find anything locally. So now it has to be sawmills and associated industries.
A few people knew about sawmills that were still in use. These mills were one- and two-men operations where most of the lifting and moving work was done with tractors and forklifts. The only track they were likely to have was that which carried the carriage through the mill. Foiled again!
But then I met Charlie. Charlie was an old black man who worked with me. He lived two counties away so was way more familiar with that part of the country. Charlie knew immediately what I was talking about and thought he could lay hands on a piece for me for free. It took him too long with too many enquiries from me before he brought it to work with him one night. It was exactly what I had envisioned. It was about seven feet long and covered with rust scale as though it had been buried for many years. But it was finer than any shining jewel to me, the culmination of years of search and research. A posthumous, “Thank You Charlie, a better friend can ne’er be found!” is in order.
I was lucky, my work had a shop full of tools I needed to turn this:
Into this:
Power hacksaw, drill press, acetylene torch, files, sandpaper and emory cloth were there and free to use as long as it was on my own time. It took me a long time to get it to the point where it could be used. I ground down the face and sides of the top part while leaving the waist and feet in the same rough condition minus the rust scale. The grooves across the top were added using a round file. The were put there as a method of rounding over rings.
The anvil is 6 inches long from the heel to the tip of the horn. It stands about 3 inches tall, a little less than 2 inches wide at the face and a little over 3 inches at the foot. I lost a little metal in removing all the rust scale so I’m not exactly sure what it measured new. It weighs around 4 pounds compared to a full-sized anvil which can weigh up to 500 pounds.
I used this anvil in this condition for many years, holding it between my knees at first, then mounted to a little piece of mdf plywood. After I developed gout in my joints and couldn’t use my hands like I once did I decided to give up on making jewelry. It made me sad to see the little anvil just collecting dust so I decided to give it to some who would appreciate it and maybe even use it sometimes. There was no problem selecting a donee. Who else makes jewelry? Whose face do we see and whose name comes up often here on the Blind Pig & the Acorn? Katie Pressley!
I hope Katie treasures it and passes it on to her grandchildren!
I have no doubt Katie will treasure the anvil for the rest of her life!! I hope you enjoyed hearing about the perseverance and ingenuity Arnold used to make the anvil.
Last night’s video: A Traditional Appalachian Summer Supper & How To Make Carrot Salad.
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Oh I love this story, and that this special anvil was gifted to Katie! She’ll surely put it to good use and treasure it!
Such a wonderful story & a sweet blessing to Katie! We have something very similar to this in our garage! It’s not finished & beautiful like this one, but it is indeed part of an old track that is used as an anvil. It is my husband’s, & was his dad’s before him. I just wonder now, where ours came from.
Wow, what talent and skill he has and he blessed Katie with the fruit of his labor. She will cherish it and put it to good use.
What a precious gift! Thank you, Arnold… for your kindness. Your tenacity in procuring that piece of rail, to the end result, is so inspiring! You had a dream and a vision. Im doing the same thing in life, with passing on… nothing to the degree of this! However, I understand how it’s so important to pass along precious things to someone who will use and enjoy them. What a great story! Thank you for sharing.
Great story! When I was a young horse crazy kid we had an old cowboy friend who also worked for the local railroad. He made anvils from old rails too but used them for shaping horseshoes, not nearly as beautiful and refined as the one pictured, but clever and useful nonetheless.
This post was so interesting. I asked my husband, who was a coal miner for 40 years before he retired, if he ever called the track in the mines donkey track. He said that it was just always called the rail. It is smaller like the one you showed, and he said many people made anvils out of old pieces. He is a third generation miner and said that maybe his grandpa and the miners back then called it a donkey track. His grandpa used to load a small wagon full of coal by hand. Then they would put a tag on it and send it out on the rail pulled by a donkey or a pony. They got paid by the wagon load and the tag told the foreman who loaded it.
What a beautiful story and a beautiful anvil. I would expect Katy knows what a treasure she has and will use and take care of it. But to me the best part is that she has the story. So many stories get lost and mean so much to the items left. Being the recipient of
such a gift shows how special she has become. Thanks for sharing the story.
I enjoyed hearing about the perseverance and ingenuity Arnold used to make the anvil and was pleased that Katie has the anvil now. Laura, my wife, is a customer of Katie’s, and the jewelry Katie made for her is very creative.
It seems like railroads weave their tracks thru my life. My earliest memory was when I was around 3 yrs old. We came from Canada to California. I only remember looking out the window and seeing open land. Not very interesting. My dad was a very hard worker, he held down sometimes 2 jobs and went to night school. He became a welder. In those days. the late 1950’s, life was simpler. A large welding factory hired and trained anyone to weld. My dad and 2 others had licenses so they were paid well. My mom has a head for saving and spending the right way. So after only 5 years my parents bought a house and became citizens. Now my dad was very quiet, shy, but a very active mind. One day he tells my mom they are going to buy a piece of land that will have houses built on it, a marina for boats , restaurants. We go to see it. Jackrabbits, a train going by. Venice Beach in the distance. Yes they bought a small piece of land with a duplex on it. Every day after school, my brother and me would go out the back gate to wave the train conductor. That smallish train with only a few cars would weave thru the small tight streets that are now Venice Beach with all the restaurants and shops, and actors. I am 67 and remember the orange grove where now are expensive condos. I can point out the spot where the tracks are. Many years later I move up to the mountains. There used to be a train that carried lumber down to the bottom. What a sight that must have been. I retired 2 years ago and moved to Arkansas. We bought this property for the land not the house. Large trees, no neighbors close by. Something about this land. The surveyor marks out the property. Not 3/4 of an acre. 1 1/4 acres. The extra piece is railroad land so it is not mentioned in the sale. Our property has many railroad ties and the metal plates, I had to leave all mine behind. I left railroad land and moved thousands of miles to railroad land. At certain times of the day we can hear the train cutting thru town. Runs under the freeway. It makes me feel lonely and sad. Maybe in a past life I was a hobo who rode the rails. I am prone to wanderlust.
Anna, I live in a rural area, and have lived here all of my life.The nearest small town of Honea Path, SC is 13 miles away. At one time there were two different railroad tracks that came through the town . Back before air conditioning and the windows would be open, I would lay in bed at night and listen to the trains blowing their whistles as they came through this town and wonder where the train was going. I am now almost 70 years old and still fascinated by trains and find myself wishing I could hope on and ride just to see where it is going. I’m to crippled up now to try hopping on a train without having a ticket.
Katie will put the anvil to good use and hopefully her grandchildren will inherit her talent and use it for jewelry making just like their granny did. Arnold, I hope your grandchildren inherit your talent and generosity as well.
Although I don’t know anything about anvils, Arnold’s story was an interesting read. The thought of gifting it to Katie was very kind.
Everyone stay cool today. This heat will wear you down in a heartbeat!
Tipper, take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Praying for all. Love your family.
I overlooked the sentence about the anvil being give to Katie, I am sure she will keep and treasure it for the rest of her life. The sentimental valve of gifts like this is worth far more than money value for me and I feel like Katie.
That is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I have a “store bought” anvil and some other blacksmith tools that belonged to my great granddaddy. I never met him, he died in the 1920’s. I did know my great grandmother. If owning things that belonged to the railroad is illegal, I am in trouble. I have many of the railroad spikes. They make good replacement “teeth” for something I know as a drag harrow. No defense, but if I know a lot of other people that would be with me if this is illegal. You can find them by walking along a railroad track.
An example of stupid boys, true anvils have a small hole in them that is the perfect size for a 22 cal. bullet. My father in law would tell about him and other boys putting bullets in these holes and hitting them with a hammer making them go off. The bullet itself would be pointing at the ground. This can be done because 22 cal bullets are “rim fire” bullets. I know a young boy that had one go off in his pocket full of other things. The only casualties were a pocket knife and a pair of underwear!
That’s THE FINEST ANVIL STORY I ever heard in all my life! I want to congratulate Chitter on her “new” anvil. I’d never heard of donkey tracks and N&S runs right through town here. My daddy was a railroad man. I know if a feller who took his girlfriend and her dog walking by New River near a tunnel they thought was defunct. Along came a train, the little dog ran across the track, his master ran after him and the feller was left with no fiancé or dog. He said not a trace of the dog was found and only bits of the lady. It blew his mind and he still bears scars across his head where he got hit too. Don’t Jack around railroad tracks y’all.
Loved both stories and will check to see if yesterday’s went to spam. I’m sure Katie loves the anvil. Thanks for the daily dose of Appalachia life. it soothes the soul. Happy Matt has joined you. Tell Granny I’m praying for her and for wisdom for her doctors
What beautiful craftsmanship, Arnold! I enjoyed reading about your search for the perfect piece of metal from an old railroad track. I love anything to do with history (and railroads! I love trains!), so it was very interesting to read about the dinky/donkey railroad tracks of the Appalachian Mountain mines. In the mountains that separate San Diego from the desert, are many old mines with those donkey tracks. Lots of small mines (gemstones and ore bearing silver and gold) are still in operation there today. There is an active gold mine in the historical mountain town of Julian, which is also famous for is very delicious apples. I have toured the Julian mine, and can truthfully say it is very fascinating, both the mine and the old west cemetery there. There is also the Stonewall Mine, in the Cuaymaca Mountains of San Diego County, that still had all of its equipment from the 1800s, and was another very fun place to visit. It was if the miners had just walked off for a meal break and left everything as was to come back to shortly. Sadly, one of the big forest fires that happen in the San Diego back country, destroyed all of it around 2007. I was so very happy and thankful for all the times I had visited the Stonewall Mine as a kid and young adult before the big fire. As I read your post, my mind’s eye was able to imagine all you wrote about. Thank you for a wonderful article to read this morning! It has put me in a fall season mood – time for apple harvest festivals in Julian (happening in October, but I am living the memories today!!). Their apple pies are the best in the world!! I can just smell and taste all the apple breads, cakes, pies, sauces, etc, – baking and simmering right now! I am also missing a trip to Dudley’s Bakery in Santa Ysabel, between Ramona and Julian, now. They have the best homemade cheese and jalapeño bread!! What a wonderful gift you gave to Katie in that anvil! She is a lucky girl!
Donna. : )
I have a one foot section of a smaller gauge track and have seen more at junk and antique stores. Thinking folks had intentions on using them as anvils or even as railroad retirement souvenirs
This is another great story, I’m so happy Katie was gifted such a treasure! I just know it will be used and handed down. Last night’s supper looked so good! I watch almost every video any of you put out❤ God bless you and yours❤❤
That was an interesting story, knowing the process to acquire and make it, what it was used for and who now haves it is wonderful! I’m sure this will be a very handy tool that Katie will use for a very long time.
What determination and skill!!
That is an amazing transformation from RR rails to anvil.
Be safe in this heat wave this week.
What an amazing story of Arnold’s anvil. I got close to the end of his writing, and was thinking how nice it would be if Arnold could leave the anvil to Katie, and when I finally got to the end of reading, that is exactly what happened, I said out loud, ALRIGHT! THAT IS SO WONDERFUL. I am just so very thrilled that Arnold’s anvil ended up at Katie’s work table. JUST AWESOME!!! I know she is so excited to have such a treasure. Thank you Tipper for posting this story of the anvil. May the Lord God keep you all healthy and blessed forever.
Yep, had the same thought. Katie could use something like that. Lo and behold, look where it went. Starting with just the understanding that it was re-purposed and hand crafted, there is great potential in that anvil. I can envision pictures of it appearing in several uses. If/when Katie writes her first book it could be on the cover. And it could be an iconic Appalachian still-life mounted on a tree block, sitting on a weathered porch with fall colors in the background. Wouldn’t need any words. It speaks for itself, for Arnold and for all who hand craft or love history.
And yet another wonderful email. I don’t know how you have time to do all you do…one busy lady. Thank goodness you now have 2 assistants. God Bless you guys and say hello for me to Granny.