Rail Track Components- Steel Rail, Rail joint, Fish Bolt, Railroad Spike

Rail track can provide continuous dependable surface for the wheels to rolling, and it is consist of rails, rail joint, fasteners, sleepers and ballast. Rail track is also called railway track in UK and UIC terminology, railroad track in the United States. The trains running on the tracks are usually equipped with the electrification system such as an overhead electrical power line or an additional electrified rail. The fasteners is used to fix the steel rails on the sleepers, while the sleepers and the ballast can distribute the weight passing vehicles pushed on the rails.

Steel Rail

Steel Rail is the most important component of rail track, and its function is to guide the train wheels moving forward by withstanding the enormous pressure pushed by the wheels. Steel rail shall provide smooth, stable and continuous rolling surface for the passing train wheels. Steel rails can be classified into different types including railway rails, crane rails, coal mining rails and different standard uch as American, BS, UIC, DIN, JIS, Australian rails.

Rail Joint

Rail joint, also named fishplate, is a mental bar used to connect the end of two rails together. Because of the particularity of signal steel rail, so there must be joint section on the steel rails. It is necessary to connect the two rails with rail joint, which can provide continuous rolling surface for the trains. Rail joint can also ensure rails steadily bear the force caused by train when train passes by. And rail joints reserve expanding space for high heat climates. Rail joint is a rail component which can ensure the vehicles' movement with continuous rails. The rail joint can be classified into common rail joint, compromise rail joint, bulge rail joint, insulated rail joint and glued insulated rail joint, etc

Fish Bolt

Fish bolt is always used with rail joints, fish bolt gets through the holes of rail joint and rail, and play a bolton role in the connection. If the fish bolt is used with the matching rail joint, the effect would be perfect.

Railroad Spike

Railroad spike is one of the most important rail components. It is similar to a large nail with an offset head. The railroad spike is used for fasten the rail and tie, and it is usually with tie plate. There are mainly two kinds of rail spikes: dog spike, screw spike. Dog spike can just used in wooden sleepers, and the screw spike is used in concrete sleepers.