Rail Joints

Engineering

1. Rail joints

2. Supported rail joints

3. Suspended rail joints

4. Bridge joint
Bridge joint with metal flat
Bridge joint with bridge plate

5. Staggered rail joint

6. Square or Even rail joint

7. Compromise joint

8. Track fittings and fastenings

9. Track fittings and fastenings
Toholdtherailsintheirproperposition
Forjoiningrailstogetheraswellasfixingthemtothesleepers
Types of track fittings

10. Fish plates
The name ‘fish plate’ derives from the fish-shaped section of this fitting.
The function of a fish plate is to hold two rails together in both the horizontal
and vertical planes.
Fish plates are manufactured using a special type of steel
Fish plates are designed to have roughly the same strength as the rail section

11. Fish plates (contd)
Bone-shaped Increased depth fish plate for BH rails

12. Fish plates (contd)
Fish plate with rail

13. Fittings for Wooden Sleepers
-for fixing rails to wooden sleepers
The fastening is named because
the head of this spike looks like the ear of a
dog.
Round spikes are used along with anticreep
bearing plates for fixing rails to sleepers.
Fang bolts are employed under the switches
for fastening slide chairs to the sleepers.
These are used in locations where the gauge
is to be preserved.

14. Dog spikes Screw spikesRound spikes

15. Dog spikes

16. Screw spikes

17. Standard spikes Elastic spike

18. Elastic spike

19. Dog bolt or Hook bolt
Straight lip type Sloping lip type

20. Fang nut and bolt

21. Chair

22. Cast Iron chair

23. Cast Iron chair with wooden key

24. Cast Iron chair with spring key

25. Slide chair pressed-up lug type

26. Slide chair with key-pressed up lug type

27. Compound chair

28. Bearing plate for FF rails

29. Pandrolclip or Elastic rail clip

30. Pandrolclip or Elastic rail clip (contd)
Itisa‘fitandforget’typeoffasteningthatrequiresverylittleattentiontowardsits
maintenance.
Theclipismadeofasilico–manganesespringsteelbarwithadiameterof20.6
mmandisheattreated.
Itexertsatoeloadof710kgforanominaldeflectionof11.4mm.
Thetoeloadisquiteadequatetoensurethatnorelativemovementispossible
betweentherailandthesleeper.
Pandrolclipscanbedrivenwiththehelpofanordinary4-poundhammerand
requirenospecialtools.
ThePandrolorelasticclipcanbefixedonwooden,steel,castiron,andconcrete
sleeperswiththehelpofabaseplateandsomeotherancillaryfittings.
PandrolclipsarethemostwidelyusedclipswithconcretesleepersonIndian
Railways

31. Pandrolclip or Elastic rail clip (contd)
Drawbacks of Pandrolclip
1. Their use makes the adjustment of the gauge impossible.
2. The Pandrolclip has a point contact and this causes indentation on
the foot of the rail due to a heavy toe load and a small contact area.
3. It does not provide enough safeguard from theft or sabotage because
it can easily be taken out using an ordinary hammer.