LGB track fishplate tongue

[Sarah Winfield]

On one of my lengths of track the fish plate which is normally held in place by a tongue slotting into the end sleeper has come adrift. Now the rail moves freely in the other sleepers. (Hope that makes sense)

I don't want to strain the sleeper by trying to force it open to allow the tongue to slot back in and if I bend the tongue so the rail will move I can't see how to bend the tongue back. (Sounds awfully complicated doesn't it?)

Have others had the same problem and how did they manage to get the tongue back into its slot without damaging the sleeper please?

Sarah Winfield

 

[Zerogee]

I know exactly what you're describing, and I think the only real solution is to VERY GENTLY ease the rail out of the moulded chair clips on the end sleeper, drop the fishplate tongue into the slot and carefully ease the rail back into the chair with the help of a thin-bladed screwdriver or similar tool. There WILL be a risk of breaking one of the rail chair clips, especially if the track is old and the sleeper plastic is slightly brittle (LGB went to great lengths to use engineering grade plastics to make their stuff last, but I still think that being outside for years has SOME effect on it), but losing one shouldn't be the end of the world, when connected to another piece then the track will be fine.

I don't know of any other way of doing this, so I will be interested to see if anyobody comes up with one!

Jon.

 

[PhilP]

1. Slide the sleepers over the end of the rail, so you can get the tongue in, then slide back..
2. Flatten tongue so it sits against the bottom of the rail, and use it as an 'ordinary' rail joiner.
3. Replace with a different type of joiner, perhaps something from here?:

http://www.grsuk.com/Search.aspx?Mode=1&Query=rail clamps

 

[Madman]

What Jon describes is the simplest solution. Since the rail is free to slide along the sleepers, just slide it back until the little slot in the sleeper is visible. Set the joiner into place, making sure to insert the "tongue" into the slot. Slide the rail back and into the joiner.

Since LGB joiners are robust, they can be a tight fit. So use caution as slippage can cause bloody fingers.....

 

[stockers]

I wouldn't bother. Just leave the rail loose. Once it is in a layout with the fishplate pushed halfway on to both rail ends, it is not going far. If the tang/tab/whatever, gets in the way, just snap it off by flexing with a pair of pliers.

 

[korm kormsen]

i knew, that i had pics for that...

just open the fishplate wide enough for the railfoot to get out, put the fishplate-ear into the sleeper, push rail into fishplate, press fishplate on rail.