Large Scale Central

Unsure if this term is valid

General Discussion
#1

Need some help Folks;

Here is the back-story: I enter records into the N&W Historical Society’s archival database one or two days each week. Currently I’m entering records for correspondence dating back to the 19teens and the 1920s. I had a hand-written Personal Injury Report from about 1923 the other day that stated the laborer was injured while unloading “angler bars” from a freight car (sounds more like somewhere fly fishermen would go to get a beer to me!). My daughters tried looking up this term on Google. The response noted it was a small bar for dangling several lures from the end of a fishing line (hardly something big enough to injure somebody). I’m guessing it was probably steel or wrought iron angled bar stock, but I’m not sure. Was the ever any kind of structural steel or wrought iron called “angler bars”?

Thanks, David Meashey

#2

Maybe it was a whole load of "angler bars?

#3

“angle iron” or “angle steel” is the technical name for iron or steel with an “L-profile”.

#4

I’ll go with Korm on this one, David. Each week I type out numerous clippings related to Sutro Tunnel news, and the inventive terminology used by the press is always surprising and amusing.

Sounds like your report was written perhaps by a railroad staffer though. You’d think they’d know standard product terms, but not always.

[edit 1] I think I sounded to sure of myself in the above, and that’s usually a sign that I was wrong…
[edit 2] I like your fisherman’s bar theory!

#5

I’ll conquer with typo in the news article. However one thing that did occur to me was 1920s slang and I looked it up with no dice (slang) so back to agreeing with a typo.

As an amateur historian I will note that many bridges were built using steel in that era within that region and angle iron was essential in the construction however I could be incorrect.