The LNER Encyclopedia

Hi all, on behalf of a friend involved in an RPS, can anyone tell me what is the current type of grease used on Bullhead track and roughly how often the fishplates need to be greased assuming light use?
Cheers, Alan.

Not sure of the OIL used (will try and find out)but on the NYMR its one of the jobs that comes round every year, maybe two where you start again where you finished last year.
So at least every two years preferably annually.
The process is plates are removed, checked for cracks(replaced if required), scraped clean of old grease and detritus, Oil is sprayed in then plates refitted and tightened.

Thanks Bryan, much appreciated. I seem to remember some tubs of this stuff in the interlocking room of Bedale signalbox but my grey cells are disappearing at an alarming rate.

If what's used is termed oil, would it be kept in what are called tubs? If not, then might what was seen in 'tubs', have been grease (e.g., for points' slide-chair lubrication) ?

StevieG wrote:If what's used is termed oil, would it be kept in what are called tubs? If not, then might what was seen in 'tubs', have been grease (e.g., for points' slide-chair lubrication) ?

What's used is actually a graphite based grease. On the RH&DR we used to use one manufactured by Castrol, I've been trying to find the specification for this but haven't been able to.

During my 8 years platelaying on the Romney I can only remember re-greasing fishplates once, whether that's a typical interval I don't know but we certainly never had any joint movement problems on sections relaid within about the previous 10 years.

StevieG wrote:If what's used is termed oil, would it be kept in what are called tubs? If not, then might what was seen in 'tubs', have been grease (e.g., for points' slide-chair lubrication) ?

As I said earlier that was remembered over a lot of years and my memory isn't that hot. Furthermore the interlocking room of Bedale box had been flooded at regular intervals due to a blocked drain and so everything looked pretty much the same colour

I've used this before..

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiong ... Id=7022505

On the NYMR it is an OIL (fairly thick though) and not a GREASE.
Also I think it is supplied in TUBS just to complicate things.
We use a hand pumped pressure sprayer to apply and a grease would not be suitable.

I can remember this being done in the early 60's.

A brush was used to apply the ?oil, with a head about a foot wide and, curiously, the handle at 45 degrees to the head. Perhaps the substance was similar to the modern practice of copper slip mixed in oil generally used to prevent nuts seizing.

I also remember it was done without a possession. On one occasion, working 'between trains' the afternoon Willesden- Warrington fitted appeared quickly unexpectedly when a fishplate was out. Quite interesting the noise, and the amount the rail-ends flexed.
In those days, I expect nothing further was mentioned.....

Bryan wrote:We use a hand pumped pressure sprayer to apply and a grease would not be suitable.

On our 25 lb/yd and 30 lb/yd rail we used a 1" paint brush to apply the grease. We had to slacken the plates in order to get it in behind them (and couldn't do the job in extremely cold weather in case the joint sprang open) but it worked.

Helpfully the graphite residue seemed very persistent (even after the grease had leeched away there were still traces of graphite on the rail ends) which probably helped lubrication.

1H was 2E wrote:I can remember this being done in the early 60's.

I also remember it was done without a possession. On one occasion, working 'between trains' the afternoon Willesden- Warrington fitted appeared quickly unexpectedly when a fishplate was out. Quite interesting the noise, and the amount the rail-ends flexed.
In those days, I expect nothing further was mentioned.....

Yes on the NYMR and on Network it is still a between trains operation unless sighting limits require a possession.