Fishplate facts for kids

Fishplate on the Bluebell Railway

In rail terminology, a fishplate, splice bar or joint bar is a metal bar that is bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together in a track. The name is derived from fish, a wooden bar with a curved profile used to strengthen a ship's mast. The top and bottom edges are tapered inwards so the device wedges itself between the top and bottom of the rail when it is bolted into place. In rail transport modelling, a fishplate is often a small copper or nickel silver plate that slips onto both rails to provide the functions of maintaining alignment and electrical continuity.

Images for kids

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  The first railway fishplate, patented by William Adams and Robert Richardson in 1847

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  Fishplates provide a poor electrical bond between two rails, which is supplemented when tracks carry current by welding a length of wire spanning the rail sections directly

See also

In Spanish: Eclisa para niños