Short Track Pieces

[dunnyrail]

Having scoured the internet, I came up with a couple of ideas, and believe this one is quicker for straight and curved rail, and the fishplate remains in tact, photos to explain:

First the track length with the fishplate and a short length of spare rail:


Inset to spare rail in the fishplate to be removed until it but upto the rail with the offending fishplate, then grip the fishplate in a bench vice, tight enough to hold, but not squeezed.


A sharp blow with a hammer on the end of the spare rail, and both rails will slide in the fishplate.


A second (or more depending on how hard you hit the rail, and the fishplate is all but off the track.


Track, rail and fishplate, with minimal damage to the track or fish plate.


This is a variation on a method I saw on the internet and was dubious if it would work, but it does, only removed 10 fishplates so far, but works every time. However for points (switches) Greg's method is the only one that will work.

That is pretty similar to the one that I described only you likely put a big dent on the sacrificial rail. Indeed there are a thousand ways to do it so e without trashing the one you need or odd bits.

 

[Gerard]

Jimmi, good method to keep them undamaged!

For long tracks you may be have to clear first the fixation points along the tracklength.
I did that once using a drill with a diameter a bit larger than the indentation.
But may be your hamering method will shift this fixpoint as it is?
See foto

 

[korm kormsen]

to Jimmy
thank you.

 

[dunnyrail]

Having not been able to find the Vid and seeing lots of methods I decided to post pics that I have taken today note that it is somewhat similar to the one that Jimmy uses but as in all these things a little different. I will repeat my description but this time with pictures.

step 1, a small piece of LGB rail in the part of the track that does not have any rail with a short gap for a big screwdriver.
step 2, grip little piece of rail and fishplate in a vice with the full length of track or point dangling from the vice.

step 3, insert screwdriver and push full length of rail away till clip comes out of sleepers.
Additional note, best to have something to catch the rail, here it dropped to the floor not the best practice when using this method for a point.

EDIT
The rail in the track / points doesn’t move in the fishplate, the whole piece of track / set of points slide away from the fishplate, bending the tang in the process but retaining the original alignment of rail in sleepers. (With thanks to the added notes from Ralphmp .

step 4, give a big grin as you pull the rail away from the secured bit in the vice.

This method even works with long sections with intermediate fishplates as the complete rail moves out of the fishplate without bending out the tab overmuch.

However there is a big plus to this method, as there is no damage to either the track or fishplate you can return to original condition by placing the fishplate tab back in the sleeper gap and gently pushing the rail back in place. Note just a little scuffing of the top of the fishplate where the screwdriver has been wedged to move out the rail.


Whilst this method works for all situations on removal without the rail moving at all, return of fishplates on points is a bit trickier on the frog rail one as the tab is not replaceable in it’s slot. So for just that one bit of rail I bend the tab off the fishplate and press the fishplate back in place by gently pushing it back in place on the rail.

 

[JimmyB]

Jon, yes very similar, just mine is a hammer to move the track

 

[Paul M]

Jon, yes very similar, just mine is a hammer to move the track

Not the fabled Lump Hammer?

 

[PhilP]

GIVE IT BACK!