Track Fixtures and Fastenings

In today’s lecture you will learn …

Introduction
Types of F&F
 Introduction

Various types of components which are used to fix

the rails in proper position and also set the points
and crossings properly, are called rail fixtures and
fastenings
Used to join the adjacent rails end wise and to fix
the rails either on chairs duly fixed on sleepers or
directly on sleepers
 Types

Fish Plates
Bolts
Spikes
Chairs
Keys, cotters and tie bars
Bearing Plates / Tie sleeper plate
Check Rails
Guard Rails
Rubber Pads
Click icon to add picture

Fish Plates
 Fish Plates

The fixtures which are used to join the ends of

adjacent rails of a permanent way to maintain a
continuity and also to provide necessary gap of
expansion and contraction are called fish plates
Two fish plates are placed at each joint on either
side of rail
Four fish bolts are used to tight fish plates
 Composition of Fish Plates

Carbon 0.3 to 0.4 %

Magnese less than 0.8%
Silicon 0.15 %
Sulphur and Phosphorus 0.06 %
 Dimensions of Standard Fish Plates

For 90 R and heavier rail section, 610 mm long

fish plates are used
Dia of holes in the fish plates is kept 2 mm larger
than the bolt dia
Dia of holes in rails is kept 7 mm larger than that
of the bolt to allow free expansion and contraction
 Functions

Keep the rail section in horizontal and vertical

plane so as to maintain continuity of rails
Provide necessary expansion gap at joint
Provide strength and stability to the joint
Resist stresses due to lateral and vertical bending
moments without getting distorted
Absorb the shocks caused by jumping of the wheels
over the expansion gap
Bolts
 Fish Bolts

Used for fixing the fish plates to the rails for

making rail joint
Made either of mild steel or high carbon steel
Length of these bolts depend on the type of fish
plate
Standard practice is to use four bolts
 Fang Bolts

These are provided a no of fangs (i-e teeth) on the

inner side of their head
Used for fixing chairs with sleepers
Specially used in locations where gauge is required
to be maintained properly
FANG BOLT
Fang Bolts
 Hook Bolts

When sleepers rest on girders of a bridge the rails

are fixed to sleepers with standard dog spikes or
screw spikes
The fastenings of sleepers with girders is done with
bolts having a special head and are called hook
bolts.
Are of two types
With straight Lip meant for securing sleeper to
plate girders
With Sloping Lip meant for securing sleepers to
joists
HOOK BOLTS
 Spikes

Used for fixing the rails on sleepers with or without

bearing plates below the rails
They must be strong enough to hold the rails in
proper position to maintain the proper gauge
Types are:
 Dog Spikes
 Screw Spikes
 Round Spikes
 Elastic Spikes
 Dog Spikes

As the shape of the head of a dog spike resembles a

dog, it is known as dog spike
Commonly used for fixing FFR to wooden sleepers
Cheaper in cost
Easy to fix and remove
Maintain better gauge than other type of spikes
 Cut Spikes

Consist of
1. Square spike shank (straight narrow
part of anything) 3
2. Chisel point
3. Head elongated to one side to lie
over base of rail & beveled upward 1
to permit insertion of claw (pointed
nails) bar when pulling
• Hold down function is not effective
when used alone due to negative
bending of rails
2
 Cut Spikes Contd.

Prevent rails from spreading, overturning & hold the

rails to correct gauge
On tangent track, 4 spikes are used
Must be driven as far apart as tie width permits
without splitting the edges or going through holes of
tie plates
At joints and curves, additional spikes are used
 Spikes.

These are used for fixing the rails on sleepers with or

without bearing plates below the rails. It hold the rail
properly to obtain perfect gauge.
 Screw Spikes

These are slightly tapered screws provided with

special threads
Length varies with gauge
For BG its length is 170 mm and dia of bottom end
is 9.5 mm
Used for fixing the rails with sleepers and is an
alternative to dog spike
Holding power is roughly double that of dog spike
 Screw Spikes

Consist of
1. Blunt point 4
2. Heavy cut thread
3
3. Washer like flange
4. Square /oblong (flat shape with
four straight sides) head
If spike is broken, it is driven 2
downward
Has more hold down value but
expensive than cut spikes

1
SCREW SPIKE
SCREW SPIKE
 Round Spikes

These are of round section having dia of 19 mm

Length varies according to gauge
They have blunt (without edge) ends
Used for fixing rails on wooden sleepers using anti-
creep bearing plates
Used for fixing chairs of bull headed rails to
wooden sleepers
 Elastic Spikes

Available in variety of forms

Provide better grip with foot of FFR
Not easily driven out to wave action
Use of these spikes reduces wear and tear of rails,
less noise and creep
Generally galvanized to avoid corrosion in rains
ELASTIC SPIKE
 Chairs
Used for holding D.H and B.H rails on sleepers with proper
gauge
Distribute load from rails on the sleepers through their flat
bottoms
It has two jaws sufficiently wide apart for a rail to be placed
on it
Fixed with sleepers by means of three spikes (two on gauge
side and one on outer side)
A key is inserted b/w the outer face of web of rail and outer
jaw
These should be placed on a level base on sleepers to avoid
the risk of breaking the chair
CHAIR
 Bearing Plates / Tie (Sleeper) Plates

Rectangular plates made of mild steel or cost iron

Interposed b/w the foot of FFR and wooden
sleeper to distribute the load on a larger area
Reduces rubbing action of the rails on sleepers
Essentially used on soft wooden sleepers
 Bearing Plates / Tie (Sleeper) Plates

Placed between base of rail & top of sleeper.

Purpose
 Protect the sleeper from the mechanical wear
 Area greater than base of rail  Distribution of rail
load over a greater sleeper area with diminished
unit pressure
 Abrasive action of rail due to longitudinal
movement (load or temperature) removed from
wooden fibers to steel plate
 Tend to equalize holding power of spikes
 Bearing Plates / Tie (Sleeper) Plates

Advantages are:
Increase the bearing area on the sleepers
Prevent the rail cutting
Increases the stability of the track
 Reduces the wear of spikes
BEARING PLATE
Holes for Holes for
spikes Plate
securing holding
rails spikes

Bearing
Shoulder Shoulder
Surface / Saddle
 Size of Tie Plates

Depends upon load

 More rail load  larger sized baseplate (tie plate) to
reduce unit load on wood fibres
• Proper size is an economic matter
 Use of such a plate which gives least overall costs of
tie & plate combined.
 A large plate must add enough to the tie life to cover
costs of additional steel
 Keys

Small tapered piece of wood or metal used to fix a

rail to the chair
May be straight or tapered
Wooden keys are cheaper but are liable to be
attacked by vermins and likely to be stolen
Keeping in view these factors and longer life steel
keys of various patterns have been designed
nowadays
 Keys

Are of three types

Stuart’s Key ( E shaped steel plate
Morgan or Two way key (Used with cost iron
chairs on sleepers and are effective rail gripping
devices. Can be used both ways
Coiled or open close Key
RAIL, CHAIR AND KEY
 Cotters

Used for fixing the tie bars with cast iron sleepers
A cotter is a wedge (thin piece) shaped MS plate
with a split in either horizontal or vertical plane
Are of two types
Center split
Side split (most commonly used)
Length of cotter is 152mm and weight is 360 gm
COTTER
 MS tie bar

Used for connecting and holding the pots or bowls

together ( type of cast iron sleepers)
 Check Rails

These are the rails introduced on the sharp curves

along the inner rails of the track for reducing wear
of rails
Also provided on the straight rails opposite the
crossing in turnouts
Provided on curves of 8 degrees and over for BG
and 14 degrees and over for MG tracks
Worn-out rails which become unfit for through
track, are generally used as check rails
CHECK RAILS
 Guard Rails

These are the provided on the bridges of long spans with

open floor, parallel to the running rails in order to prevent
derailed wheels from falling off the bridge
Fastened to sleepers at a fixed distance apart
Also provided on level crossings
In case of bridge these are fixed 250 mm from each running
rail
Top is kept at same level as that of running rail but may be
kept 25 mm lower than the running rail
The two guard rails converge at a point 5.7 m for BG and 4.5
m for MG tracks beyond the end of bridge
GUARD RAILS
 Rubber Pads

A rubber pad is interposed b/w a foot of rail and

concrete sleeper, it functions are:
It dampens and absorbs vibrations of the rail
Resists the lateral movement of the rail
Prevents abrasion of the rail bottom surface
Provides good electrical insulation for an electrified
track