Authentic fishplates anyone?

[ge_rik]

Fancy realistic rail-joints?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PROTOTYPI...474144?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item337859a9a0 < Link To http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm...mp;hash=item337859a9a0

My concern would be expansion/contraction - but then it must be the same problem with rail-clamps I suppose.

Rik

 

[Rhos Helyg Loco Works]

Realistic rail joints, but moulded plastic sleepers - love it!
My main concern would be the cost...
3/32" would be suitable for 10BA fixings. My usual supplier has hex-head 10BA bolts at £8.50 for 50 (about 17p each) and nuts at £6.00 for 50 (12p each).
Each track joint would use eight of each (four per rail), so each joint would cost:
(8 x 17p) + (8 x 12p) = £2.32 plus the cost of the joining strips
And they would be a real pain to get apart after they have been outside for a few months!

 

[Madman]

I agree. The idea is nice, but possibly for the rivet counters only. And the cost would be prohibitive on any larger railway.

 

[trammayo]

Not quite prototypical though - as only two of the plate holes are elongated.

 

[ge_rik]

Not quite prototypical though - as only two of the plate holes are elongated.

Well spotted - I thought for a mo that would allow for expansion but there's one slotted hole and one non-slotted on each side of the rail joint, so that still wouldn't let the rails move when contracting or expanding.

Rik

 

[3Valve]

Not for me. They don't look very subtle.