The Rail Transportation Engineering Center (RailTEC) at the University of Illinois (Illinois) is investigating spike failures in timber tie track to determine the root cause(s) and develop failure prevention strategies. This research is part of an ongoing investigation into spike failures sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) that began in 2018. Through modeling, laboratory, and field work, RailTEC has discovered that maintaining friction between tie plates and ties reduces the stress on spikes up to 80 percent (Dersch, 2022). Screw spikes installed with spring washers is one way to ensure that friction is maintained in the fastening system.