What do you think of when someone asks you about a ” joint bar”? If you are thinking of a place where biker gangs go to play pool…you are way off! In the rail context we are thinking of the bar that bolts sections of rail together. The bar is specific to the type rail that needs bolted together. The reason the bars are specific to each size of rail is because as the bolts draw the two bars together, ( joining two sticks of rail together ) the bars wedge into the base of the rail and under the head of the rail. This wedging action locks the two sticks of rail together lessening the strain on the bolts.
So what is a comp bar? Comp is short for compromise. So what do you think of when someone asks about a “Compromise Bar” If you are thinking it’s a place like Applebee’s that is not a bar because its a restaurant or not a restaurant because it’s a bar, you’ve missed the point! In the rail context a comp bar is used to bolt together two sticks of rail together, but unlike a joint bar, a comp bar is for two lengths of rail of different sizes.
So for example a comp bar can bolt 131 lb rail together with 100 lb rail. The bar is made to wedge into the two weights of rail at the same time, as the bolts are drawn together. The catch is that the two sizes of rail have two different heights, so the ties under the shorter length of rail need to be higher to support the tie plate under the rail. The goal is the that the two pieces of rail are level on top. If you need further info meet me at the ” comp bar” and we will talk rail !
Brian, a good short article which helps anyone quickly understand these two railroad terms. Nice job on this.
Thanks Mike I’ll do more then. Brian
Good Article
Thanks Collin! I like Appleby’s but haven’t been in one for a while. Brian
As a retired US NAVY track inspector, I enjoy track maintenance discussions. At Crane we had at least 10 variations of rail sizes.
Tom Sometime I would love to hear the story of military railroading! I have bought several surplus locomotives ( including a 45ton from Philly Navel Ship Yard ) and have visited lots of installations with rail. Brian
Tom I have heard Crane had A LOT of rail, how much of the rail is left? Brian
Good Stuff that everyone should know. Underneath it all is the track.
Buck Thank you! When the tracks go bad…it all goes bad! Brian
Great article. Love following you guys on YouTube. Keep it up, Merry Christmas from South Africa
Thanks Jade! I hope we bring joy and peace, and bring items and topics you enjoy! Brian
Nice information.. One thing I wanted to make mention was to assure that you have a tie under your compromise bars and tamped up so the bar will not break under load.. great to see your videos..Thank you for all..
Thanks for commenting and yes I agree on suport for all joint bars. I looked at that comp bar hanging out in space and thought, that is so much extra stress!
That was a great article.
Ethan Thank you, I hope to do more in this series. Brian
Good to know info. Clearly written. FWIW I am modelling n scale some of the BNSF Kootenai sub in Libby MT. Best wishes for new customers in 2024.
Brian, I was looking at the Rail Guide website and noticed that they had East Terminal named Columbus and Ohio River so I sent them a message with the link to your website so they would know their mistake. I’m glad they fixed it. I wish you and Graham all the best.
Sincerely, Bob