Rail 16
Definition
Koehler's designation for the left side rail of the bottom section of the Lindbergh ladder. The rail that was matched by grain, ring pattern, and nail holes to a board removed from Hauptmann's attic floor, providing the most direct physical link between Hauptmann and the ladder.
- Origin
- Koehler's designation in the Lindbergh kidnapping investigation
- Component
- Left side rail, bottom ladder section
- Match features
- Grain pattern, growth rings, nail hole positions
- Source
- Board removed from Hauptmann's attic floor
Common questions
Why was Rail 16 considered such strong physical evidence?+
Wood grain and ring pattern are effectively unique to a single board, so matching the cut nail holes and grain continuation between the ladder rail and the attic floorboard placed a specific piece of Hauptmann's own house in the ladder's construction, a link no other evidence category in the case could provide.
What examination technique demonstrated the match?+
Arthur Koehler, a wood technologist, compared growth-ring sequence, grain characteristics, and the spacing and diameter of nail holes between the rail and the floorboard, showing they were once a continuous piece of lumber.
Related terms
- Crossgrain
- A condition in which the wood fibres run at an angle to the long axis of the piece. In Rail 16, Koehler...
- Grain Matching
- The physical comparison of growth-ring pattern and fibre direction at a fracture or cut surface to an adjacent piece of wood. Because...
- Plane Mark
- A surface trace left by a hand or machine plane, showing the arc of the blade stroke and any irregularities such as...
- Supply Chain Tracing
- In Koehler's investigation, the process of tracking the ladder lumber from the sawmill of origin through the distribution network to the retail...
- Tool-Mark Analysis (Wood)
- Examination of surface marks left by cutting, planing, or shaping tools to identify the tool type, size, and individual characteristics of the...