... reason behind the use of short 2-bolt fishplates for joining bullhead rails? I remember them being mentioned in a topic a while back but a quick search didn't find it. Were there regional variations in their use? I am guessing they would not have been used in faster main line settings or in more recent times. "British Railway Track" does mention the use of these shorter 9 inch fishplates and comments that 4 bolt fishplates were the best option. Here is a poor quality pic( of GWR origin?) 2001_111830_180000000.jpg Should we be putting these on a few lightly used sidings? Rob posted: 12 Oct 2020 00:08 from: Matt M. Hi Rob. These were popular pre WW2. The Idea is they leave a shorter unsupported length of rail at the ends of the panels. This was supposed to counteract dip which is an issue at rail joins which collect excessive wear and damage as the wheels pass over. Yes they were seen on main lines. Which companies and where would require research. They passed out of favour ...