Fishplates

[John1976]

Just a quick question,in the rule book it states the action taken by a signaller when "both fishplates are broken on the same rail".
Does this mean two fishplates on either end of a 60ft length of rail or two fishplates opposite to one another across the 4 foot (ie one on the cess rail and one on the 6ft rail)?
Later on in the book it goes on about "one fishplate of a pair is broken". So what constitutes a pair out of either of the above examples?
Hope I've made it clear enough, sure I've come to the right place for answers!!

 

[Monty]

I'm going to stick my neck out on this one and say I think it's the two fishplates either side of the rail that connect two lengths of rail together, and not either end of a single section of rail. I hope I've made sense there?

 

[Greeny]

It means fishplates on the same rail eg - both sides (plates) of a cess rail or 6ft rail, but not to plates broken on both of those rails at once i.e 6ft and cess rails at the same time. Personally I would never have allowed a train to pass over broken plates on both rails unless a competent member of P/Way staff agreed. It is like a broken rail on both sides at once and there is no support for any weight.

G

 

[Trog]

Just a quick reminder to our HAT friends that if one fishplate of a pair has broken, both should be replaced. As the unbroken one may have been overstressed and damaged while doing the job of both.