07-28-2009, 06:30 PM
The joint bars for the change of rail from one size to another are called "compromise bars" and most of them are ordered special for a job.
Some times the correct bars are not available so the track man may make the change in two steps. (using 3 different sizes of rail) The bars are marked as inner and outer as well as left and right. The inner bars keep the inner head in line while the outer bar will have a step in it to account for the difference in head width. There are also bars with 2 holes on one side and three on the other to go from a 4 bolt drilling to a 6 bolt drilling. For class 1 track a good tight bolt on either side of the joint is required. for class 2 and above you have to have 4 bolts in each joint. The bolts are staggered to keep a derailed wheel from shearing all of the bolts in a joint, thus causing the rail to separate.
You will notice one of the compromise bars pictured is homemade. This would not pass most track inspections even though it may be a great weld. There used to be one on the line between Conrail and the P&S that was a homemade job. the joint was the dividing point between railroads. I was told that the joint was know about, but they didn't know who it belonged to, so no one got cited. It was there, handling heavy coal trains for years.
Most of the old PRR lines were 130 PS rail on the mains and 100 PS on sidings, the PS being Pennsylvania Standard. Every rail is marked
Charlie
Some times the correct bars are not available so the track man may make the change in two steps. (using 3 different sizes of rail) The bars are marked as inner and outer as well as left and right. The inner bars keep the inner head in line while the outer bar will have a step in it to account for the difference in head width. There are also bars with 2 holes on one side and three on the other to go from a 4 bolt drilling to a 6 bolt drilling. For class 1 track a good tight bolt on either side of the joint is required. for class 2 and above you have to have 4 bolts in each joint. The bolts are staggered to keep a derailed wheel from shearing all of the bolts in a joint, thus causing the rail to separate.
You will notice one of the compromise bars pictured is homemade. This would not pass most track inspections even though it may be a great weld. There used to be one on the line between Conrail and the P&S that was a homemade job. the joint was the dividing point between railroads. I was told that the joint was know about, but they didn't know who it belonged to, so no one got cited. It was there, handling heavy coal trains for years.
Most of the old PRR lines were 130 PS rail on the mains and 100 PS on sidings, the PS being Pennsylvania Standard. Every rail is marked
Charlie