Gee Vee Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Forgive me if this is an old chesnut but I am building track/points for a GW single track branchline. I know that keys in chairs stuck out in the direction of travel but what was the situation on single track branches and in station areas where locos were moving on track in both directions. Am building an model of Marlow. Have looked at various pictures but my research is inconclusive. Any advice welcome Gee Vee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 I believe that keys on bidirectional lines usually alternated. However, given the multiplicity of permanent way engineers over the course of railway history, I would expect many variations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 An often-quoted rule is that keys are driven "towards the joint, towards the station, towards the river". Those either side of a joint are drivent towards the joint (i.e. stick out away from the joint) to give room for the fishplate. Those either side of a station and on a descending gradient will in theory be pushed in by a braking train. Everywhere else more or less anything goes, but the keys in a single panel are usually driven in the same direction (except for one at a joint) and photos will invariably show exceptions to the rules. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 I know that keys in chairs stuck out in the direction of travel Other way round as per Nick's rule of thumb. They were driven in in the direction the rail might creep, so that keys tend to be made tighter rather than work loose. Final arbiter would have been the track ganger based on his observations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 I believe that keys on bidirectional lines usually alternated. Yup - that is the general rule Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Actually what happened was that as the linesman walk the track and found a key on the ballast, he would re-insert it in to the chair from the opposite side. So if the key was on the right side of the chair it was re-inserted from the left and vice versa. This would result in all the keys opposing any rail creep. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Actually what happened was that as the linesman walk the track and found a key on the ballast, he would re-insert it in to the chair from the opposite side. So if the key was on the right side of the chair it was re-inserted from the left and vice versa. This would result in all the keys opposing any rail creep. An excellent example of practical engineering development . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 So, let's be clear, there is no definitive answer, then? Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted April 2, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2013 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64982-bullhead-track-chair-wedges/&do=findComment&comment=864741 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.