Length of fishplate

[Julian Roberts]

This is from another thread where Martin was kind enough to answer my question, how long is a fishplate? Most of them come attached to a tab to the next one, and I wondered how much to file this back.
viewtopic.php?f=89&t=8355&start=50

A real fishplate is 18" long = 6mm.

The end sleepers at the joint should be at 24" centres (plus typically 1/4" to allow for expansion) = 8mm centres.

The chair jaws are 4" wide, so there is 20" between the jaws = 6.7mm.

So the 18" fishplate should fit between them with a small 1" space at each end = 0.35mm.

The keys at a rail joint are always driven towards the fishplate, so should not be projecting more than 1" on that side.

The usual model problem is that the rail ends are not dead central between the sleepers.

cheers,

Martin.

I think it's worth making this separate thread to assist anyone who was asking the same question

[steamraiser]

That depends on the fishplates The GWR / BR(W) had both two and four bolt fishplates. I think I have seen special fishplates with more bolts.

[Hardwicke]

I don't think it was just the GWR who had 2 bolt plates. Also there are 6 or longer bolt plates now in FB

[martin goodall]

I once met a former GWR PW engineer, and pumped him for various information on Great Western PW practice. He told me that when the GWR introduced 2-bolt fishplates (in the 1930s?), the PW staff couldn't get rid of the damned things fast enough, and replaced them with 4-bolt fishplates again at the earliest opportunity!

[Incidentally, he was bemused by my interest in such old-fashioned PW practices. Later in his career, he was heavily engaged in the West Coast Main Line electrification, and was very proud of his part in introducing concrete sleepers on BR!]

[Tony Wilkins]

According to BRT 1956 edition. Fishplates for Bull Head rail were 18" long. Short 9" long (11 1/2" long on the Southern Region) were used at one time. Fishplates for Flat Bottom rail were 20" long.
More recently longer Fishplates have been used with FB rail as shown in this picture taken in July 2007. I don't know the length of them though.

DSCF0221.JPG

Note that there is only a Fishplate on the near rail and is an insulated joint so presumably part of a track circuit break.
Regards
Tony.

[Hardwicke]

Fishplates for Flat Bottom rail were 20" long.
More recently longer Fishplates have been used with FB rail as shown in this picture taken in July 2007. I don't know the length of them though.
DSCF0221.JPG
Note that there is only a Fishplate on the near rail and is an insulated joint so presumably part of a track circuit break.
Regards
Tony.

Working out the sleeper width should give a fair approximation of the length.
You also see them as emergency plates on broken rails.

[Julian Roberts]

The usual model problem is that the rail ends are not dead central between the sleepers.

Prototype for everything!? The track panel to the right of this has 29 sleepers. Cathcart station, on bridge over the River Cart.

[Hardwicke]

The usual model problem is that the rail ends are not dead central between the sleepers.

Prototype for everything!? The track panel to the right of this has 29 sleepers. Cathcart station, on bridge over the River Cart.

Is this rail creep caused by braking and/or gradient?

[Julian Roberts]

This is an island platform, trains are going to the right. Max speed about 20mph here even for the daily express train, first stop Muirend.

[Phil O]

The spacing may be to allow tamping machines to work.

For some odd trackwork, there was a published photo, of one rail in bullhead and the other in F/B, I think it was in Heritage Railways and was probably at Fort William.

Cheers Phil.

[BryanJohnson]

Phil O posted

For some odd trackwork, there was a published photo, of one rail in bullhead and the other in F/B, I think it was in Heritage Railways and was probably at Fort William.

This is a photo I took of some siding trackwork at Workington in 1988.

FB to Bullhead.jpg