Talk:Fishplate

Weights

How much do the following items weigh?

• Fishplate (2 needed) each
• Bolt (4 needed) each
• Nut (4+ needed) each
• etc?

Answer:

How heavy is a piece of string?

I can give an example. I have borrowed a fishplate, nut & bolt from a project not connected with the FR. These items originally came from the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway and the rail is 45lb (I think) flat bottomed. A fishplate weights about 2.8Kg. The nuts and bolts are 3/4 Whitworth thread. The bolts vary in length but the one I have is about 3" long and weighs about 290g. The nuts are square and come in two sizes (same thread) and weigh either about 85g or 120g.

I think this rail is lighter than any used on the FR since the introduction of steam engines.

The fishplate shown in the second picture of the "Fishplate" page is, I believe, a Spooner & Huddart type which wrap round the base of the rail to give a more rigid joint. Heritagejim (talk) 19:19, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

Thanks. FarleyBrook (talk) 04:13, 20 August 2015 (UTC)

2-hole fishplates

I believe there were some 2 hole fishplates on the old track we lifted below Dduallt in 1967 or between TYG and GYP lifted in the early 70s. I recall being told that it was a method used by the LMS in the 1930's. The idea was that the joint sleepers could be placed closer to the rail ends and thus better supported the rail joint. It seems the old FR Co. may have tried out the same method. Can anyone confirm or refute my hazy memory? MarkTemple (talk) 17:14, 10 April 2016 (UTC)

Answer from Fred Howes received today:

"When I first came to the FR there were 2 hole fishplates in several places, Penrhyn and Gwyndy Bank were the two I recall the most. According to Will Jones there was a PW Engineer from the LMS involved at some time, apparently the 2 hole plate was widely used there but when used on FR the plates were shorter and when the sleepers were placed so their chairs were close to the fishplates the inner sides of the 2 joint sleepers were virtually touching so it was impossible to pack them properly. Consequently the sleepers split down the middle, the joint sank and stressed the fishplate bolts which came loose, indeed on some joints in Penrhyn it was not unusual to find them lying on what then passed as ballast!

I recall rebuilding the joints down Gwyndy Bank by replacing both sleepers and fitting 4 hole fishplates. As the track then was lower with the coping stones almost level with the rail top this required a lot of digging!" MarkTemple (talk) 15:23, 12 April 2016 (UTC)

Template:Rail weights (table)

Shall add 45lb rail to above.

See: Template:Rail weights (table). FarleyBrook (talk) 00:59, 24 August 2015 (UTC)

Square & hexagonal nuts

Hexagonal nuts are easier to use when new as they can be tightened with a socket spanner and a ratchet wrench. However, as they rust and wear the spanner can slip and prove very difficult to remove. Square nuts are much less likely to slip but cannot be used with a ratchet wrench - or at least I have never found a square socket to fit a ratchet wrench. Heritagejim (talk) 09:35, 20 November 2016 (UTC)