Railroad Locks

[dogyears]

I wonder if anybody here has experience picking railroad locks.

From my understanding, railroad locks require a railroad key to open - and these are typically skeleton keys, which open any lock. Now I'm tempted to drill through the lock to discover it's inner workings but I do not want to damage it. Any suggestions?

[udanis]

I wonder if anybody here has experience picking railroad locks.

From my understanding, railroad locks require a railroad key to open - and these are typically skeleton keys, which open any lock. Now I'm tempted to drill through the lock to discover it's inner workings but I do not want to damage it. Any suggestions?

If the lock isn't yours don't mess with it. If it is yours search lever lock or warded lock.

---Alex

[UWSDWF]

yep that covers it

[udanis]

yep that covers it

Why, thank you!!!!

---Alex

[n2oah]

I know a popular railroad lock is the S&G environmental series. Usually a 3-disk abloy style mechanism.

[Deathadder]

yeah, you would know all about abloys...




hogging all the protecs....

[dogyears]

a simple warded key eh? Shame I have no warded picks, it's just a matter of improvising I guess.

[udanis]

a simple warded key eh? Shame I have no warded picks, it's just a matter of improvising I guess.

It is a different type of warding than a master and most padlocks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warded_lock

---Alex

[raimundo]

I have some railroad locks, the old brass hollow stem keys, in the shape of the #9 sort of thing, My brother is a brakeman on the railroad, and he won't even show me his keys....but some old lock shops do still have the blanks if you look for them. the modern one is that three disc abloy, which is an abloy that I would think is not too difficult to pick given the size of the keyway and only 3 discs, but I have never tried one of these, since the only ones I have really seen were attached to railroad property. the keys are not skeletonized, they are quite thick, this is a lock that it makes more sense to cut a key to than try to pick, as the levers have tough springs, and the keys fit maybe most of the locks on any given railroad. I still have one that has no RR logo but is made by eagle lock co and has five levers, I haven't picked it and haven't tried in years,

[Shrub]

Got a picture of your lock?

[JackNco]

I second that im interested now? is it still in use or was it a surpless sell off?

BTW where are u located?

[raimundo]

probably from earlier years of 20th century, Its buried in a storage locker under several years of acumulations, so a picture is not immediatly possible, but some day.

[raimundo]

It might be in those fotos I put on yahoo locksports group a few year back before I moved over here. I borrowed a camera and someone helped me post them. im not computer adept. in fact Ive forgotten stuff I used to know about them, but with a little help from some of the younger guys here in the twincities, I'll get around to posting something this year.

[quickpicks]

I have 2 of them..... if you are caught messing with them, they will rip your b@!!$ off! They are really nice but dont hold up well outside for more than 2 or 3 years. I have seen the stuff on them peel right off and start rusting.




I like them though just because they look like they can withstand quite a beating but they are not as hard to pick as some might think.

I used a half diamond and scrubbed one open in 10 seconds

[JackNco]

strange looking padlock. do you have a picture of the key?