Ex railway tool?

[WildDog]

I have had these for a while not sure what they are used for, I think it was my father in law said they may be of been used to carry railway line, the large set certainly grips the railway line well, and if there was a guy on the other side with a tool then its possible, not sure what the smaller set would fit. Any help would be appreciated.

[timberfaller390]

I guess it's possible that they were for carrying rail but most of the time they used a set of tongs. I have a couple sets around here somewhere. Two men use the same tool instead of having to use two differant tools. I think you have a set of tongs used to tighten drill pipe on a water well drilling rig.

[sandhills]

Do you have any idea why the outside of the clamp is "cutaway" (for lack of better term) the way it is?   I'm sure it had a function and wasn't like that for looks.  Don't know what the smaller one would fit, did they use smaller track rails in mines?  I have no idea but I like whatsits, eventually someone here always knows.

[Dave Shepard]

It has to be wider where the jaw slides through, and then is reduced at the end probably to save iron and weight. I say it's just a pipe wrench. You would need one on either side to carry a rail. I have similar, although smaller, wrenches that have smooth hex or toothed jaws for nuts and pipe.

[Ironwood]

Certainly interesting.

Ironwood

[WildDog]

Thanks for the input guys, pipe wrench seems like the probable intended use. Timberfaller I have a set of the railway forged tongs, will add a pic later. Sort of hoped these might of been an "elite" version.

[Ironwood]

Another fairly rare RxR tool is a rail straightener, usually for narow guage mine track, never knew what one was until a friend showed me his, then fouond one at a local flea market last summer.
Ironwood