Fish Plates

DafyddElvy

DafyddElvy

1:22.5 & 15mm Scale Trams, , NG Steam Railways
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How many of us want the best detail we can for our railway, well a company I found by accident who can help if you'd like to have prototype fish plates.
 

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Too rich for my blood - I’ll stick with the manufacture-supplied fish plates and Massoth-style track clamps.
 
And they should also give pretty good connection for folks using live rails. Maybe a stupid question, but wouldn't bolting the rails together create problems when the rail expand/contract? I’ve deliberately avoided using clamps on every rail joint thinking that fishplates allow the rails to expand/contract without upsetting track geometry.
 
Ralphmp said:
And they should also give pretty good connection for folks using live rails. Maybe a stupid question, but wouldn't bolting the rails together create problems when the rail expand/contract? I’ve deliberately avoided using clamps on every rail joint thinking that fishplates allow the rails to expand/contract without upsetting track geometry.
Click to expand...
A good point. I would have thought the holes should be slightly oval.
 
I suppose to be prototypical, you would need to chop down the long lengths of track to prototypical lengths. Content with the 10 ft viewing rule, and have fun with my trains, though I am sure others probably G1 fans would go for it :)
 
Personally I will probably stick with traditional model railway fish plates, if I were to consider electric track power in the future, I have made provision for a feeder to be provided with a connection to each rail along the route.

If someone did use prototype fish plates I would suggest oversize or oval holes in the rail but keep the holes in the fish plates to a clearance fit.
 
Ralphmp said:
but wouldn't bolting the rails together create problems when the rail expand/contract? I’ve deliberately avoided using clamps on every rail joint thinking that fishplates allow the rails to expand/contract without upsetting track geometry.
Click to expand...
All of my rail joints are either clamped or connected using Aristo/Bachmann screwed rail joiners. I fix the track to whatever it's laid on at fairly infrequent intervals, every 6 feet or so, and I'm not aware of any expansion / contraction issues.

The electrical continuity offered by both these types of rail joiner far outweighs the issues of potential thermal movement. Sliding fishplates are not a good solution for outdoor track power :shake::shake::shake:
 
I use Massoth rail clamps exclusively on my outdoor layout and, as for Rhinochugger, track fixed at infrequent intervals. No problems.

Geoff
 
Rhinochugger said:
All of my rail joints are either clamped or connected using Aristo/Bachmann screwed rail joiners. I fix the track to whatever it's laid on at fairly infrequent intervals, every 6 feet or so, and I'm not aware of any expansion / contraction issues.

The electrical continuity offered by both these types of rail joiner far outweighs the issues of potential thermal movement. Sliding fishplates are not a good solution for outdoor track power :shake::shake::shake:
Click to expand...
Even though I am "dead track" I use clamps and screw fishplates, and secure down in a few places, I have seem track float apart under use with ordinary fishplates.
 
JimmyB said:
Even though I am "dead track" I use clamps and screw fishplates, and secure down in a few places, I have seem track float apart under use with ordinary fishplates.
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I think LG do some sort of clip to keep the track sections together, but it's one of the areas where I've always been critical of LGB, where they just 'bigged up' practices from the smaller scales.

To a certain extent you can understand it as, when LGB was first introduced, it was advertised generally as an indoor train set (for people with big houses and big pockets) but there are some areas that they have failed to re-engineer even when there were known shortcomings, and the sliding fish plates is one example.
 
Gavin Sowry said:
My point exactly, and also the fact that they do not actually fish (which means the plates are angled to the same as that of the underneath of the rail head, and the angle of the foot).
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I can't find any M1.4 (scale size) with a hex head but I can find a dome head bolt which is prototypical for the earlier years, I did find an M1.5 bolt with a hex head so it is possible to get the bolts.

Personally I think I'll still stick to old fashion conventional rail fish plates, I haven't decided how I'll be fixing the track in place yet, as my line will be a tramway I may use a cement infill in places, but that's a whole separate topic.
 
Bearing in mind the deep flanges we run with, it's probably better to have countersunk heads on the inside plate and nuts on the outside.
 
In some ways, i can understand why someone might want to depict a more realistic type of rail joint .................... but then we'd be into a discussion about what a prototypical length of rail should be and how frequently they should be spaced :rock::rock::rock::rock::rock:
 
Rhinochugger said:
In some ways, i can understand why someone might want to depict a more realistic type of rail joint .................... but then we'd be into a discussion about what a prototypical length of rail should be and how frequently they should be spaced :rock::rock::rock::rock::rock:
Click to expand...
... And whether you should 'stick' dummy fishplates on, and notch the railhead, for that authentic 'clickety-clack'?
:eek::wondering::):)
 
InOtherNews:
Cat food order has arrived..
Closely followed by the Postie, who brought (among other things) two 100m rolls of equipment wire..
Red/White and Black/White insulation.
The Red/White lacks contrast, but I think it will do. :think:

PhilP
 
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