Flat-bottom rail on baseplates

Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Just asking... because I do not know...

In the development of FB trackwork the "Pandrol" clip (trade mark acknowledged) has been a prominent feature for yonks and yet I am not aware of any articles in the modelling press about the characteristics of such track - hence these questions.

An early design of Pandrol trackwork involved a baseplate with four lugs, arranged with a lug at each corner of the baseplate. Each lug had a hole which could take a Pandrol clip, generally two clips per baseplate with one clip on each side of the rail. So there are two lugs on the outside of the rail and two lugs on the inside of the rail - from a search of Google images and peering over the many railway bridges in our village, clips are placed in the RH outer lug and the LH inner lug (RH and LH when facing the outside face of the rail).

Question 1/
Given that the majority of photos show track with clips in RH-outer and LH-inner lugs, when might clips be used with the LH-outer or RH-inner lugs?

Question 2/
All of the images which I have seen on Google, and the local permanent way, show the clips to be inserted from the free (outer) end of the lug. So far I have found no evidence of clips being inserted into the lugs from the inner end of the lug (that is... from the centre of the baseplate). Why are clips inserted only from the free end of a lug?

thanks, Graham
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
Dog Star said:
Just asking... because I do not know...

In the development of FB trackwork the "Pandrol" clip (trade mark acknowledged) has been a prominent feature for yonks and yet I am not aware of any articles in the modelling press about the characteristics of such track - hence these questions.

An early design of Pandrol trackwork involved a baseplate with four lugs, arranged with a lug at each corner of the baseplate. Each lug had a hole which could take a Pandrol clip, generally two clips per baseplate with one clip on each side of the rail. So there are two lugs on the outside of the rail and two lugs on the inside of the rail - from a search of Google images and peering over the many railway bridges in our village, clips are placed in the RH outer lug and the LH inner lug (RH and LH when facing the outside face of the rail).

Question 1/
Given that the majority of photos show track with clips in RH-outer and LH-inner lugs, when might clips be used with the LH-outer or RH-inner lugs?

Question 2/
All of the images which I have seen on Google, and the local permanent way, show the clips to be inserted from the free (outer) end of the lug. So far I have found no evidence of clips being inserted into the lugs from the inner end of the lug (that is... from the centre of the baseplate). Why are clips inserted only from the free end of a lug?

thanks, Graham
Click to expand...

Hi Graham

I have a couple of theories regarding your questions, but I must stress, they are just theories!

Question 1) I'm assuming that most people, like myself, are right handed. I did a stint on the Permanent Way when I left school and always found it easier to drive home a Pandrol clip (or wooden/steel key on bullhead track), by swinging the hammer from right to left. (I'd like to think it had something to do with minimising "rail creep" as well, but then just as one clip tightened its grip on the rail, surely the one diagonally opposite (on the other side of the rail), would work loose?).

Although we associate Pandrol clips with long welded rail, there were still fishplates to be found (especially around switches and crossings) and just like the key in bullhead track, the clip would have to be driven in from the opposite direction, due to the fishplates being in the way.


Question 2) I can only assume that clips are driven in from the free end of the lug, because it would be difficult, if not impossible, to do so from the other direction, due to the "unused" lug getting in the way of the hammer's swing.


This is all guesswork on my part and for a proper answer, you could try contacting Colin Craig, who's doing some interesting work with 4mm scale flat bottom track.


Regards

Dan
 
Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Hi Dan and thank you for responding to my questions.

I have never seen Pandrol clips inserted / tightened with a hammer... when the platform lines of Basingstoke Station was relayed about ten years back the PW men used a steel bar, about a yard in length, to pull the clip home. I recollect that the lever hooked over the inner end of the lug, the nearest loop of the clip and then force applied.

regards, Graham
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
Dog Star said:
Hi Dan and thank you for responding to my questions.

I have never seen Pandrol clips inserted / tightened with a hammer... when the platform lines of Basingstoke Station was relayed about ten years back the PW men used a steel bar, about a yard in length, to pull the clip home. I recollect that the lever hooked over the inner end of the lug, the nearest loop of the clip and then force applied.

regards, Graham
Click to expand...

Hi Graham

Now you mention it, I seem to recall seeing those bars in use too (must be the official tool for the job), though I can't recall ever using one myself. In fairness, my time on the P/Way was about 35 years ago!


Regards

Dan
 
Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Guys - whilst I am not at liberty to provide any more information, suffice to say that there is a good reason (read... relevant to railway modelling) why I am interested in how Pandrol Clips were used with the four lug baseplate.

I have followed up Dan's reference to Colin Craig's web site and I noticed references to baseplates such as BR1, BR2, PAN6 and PAN11. Anyone got any pikkies of these types of fitting? Or a web link to photos?

thanks, Graham
 
mickoo

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Couple of points,

Pandrols are clipped from the outer edge as you cannot get them in via the inner holes, well you can, but it's a %**&% fiddle and when your clipping miles of track, speed and ease play a major factor.

Pandrols do not grip the rail, they have....or should have a plastic/nylon insert between clip and web, this is to allow the rail to move due to expansion, expansion being taken up with bespoke breather switches or fishplates on shorter lengths. It is important that the rail moves and not the sleepers, if sleepers move then it disturbs the road bed and makes it less prone to grip the sleeper. There should also be a rubber mat between web and chair / sleeper (Concrete).
However, point work where chairs are fitted to wooden sleepers will likely not have nylon inserts and thus grip the rail and stop it from moving, expansion/movement being taken up by plain track each side.

If you wish to stop FB moving on plain track then you need to apply anti creep clips to the base of the rail where it adjoins the nearest sleeper, we have applied anti creep clips to all our lines for a distance of 100' every six to eight sleepers from the end we wish to not move (fixed rails on traverser pit)

Concrete sleepers usually only have two fixing points.

Cast chairs can have two three or four depending on type and location.
 
Dan Randall

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer
mickoo said:
Pandrols do not grip the rail, they have....or should have a plastic/nylon insert between clip and web, this is to allow the rail to move due to expansion
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying that Mick - I seem to recall them being referred to as "biscuits". Funnily enough, we use one at home to wedge the kitchen door open!


Regards

Dan
 
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