Modern wing rails

[dwolff]

This is my first post to Templot Club so please be kind if I'm going over old ground! I was at Bristol Temple Meads today for a short while. A lot of the track has been replaced on the eastern station throat and I took a few pics. Attached is a partial view of a new crossover. The usual is obvious - flat bottom track, wing rails but also very flat concrete sleepers. But zoom in and take a look at the wing rail marked Bristol 7108B XING x 2 in yellow marker forming part of common crossing. It isn't simply a wing rail with a machined end. It appears to be a wing rail with another short piece of rail bolted/riveted in three places and the whole lot possibly planed off. You can see that the three clips holding this short piece of rail are distinctly in front of the surrounding clips by perhaps 3-4 inches toward the track centre line. This isn't an option for a wing rail in Templot. Any ideas on what it is and whether this is standard practice?
Dave

 

[Martin Wynne]

@dwolff

Hi Dave,

Welcome to Templot Club.

That's a new one on me, thanks for posting it.

It's quite difficult to see what's going on there. My guess (only a guess) is that there's a cast crossing in there somewhere, and the extra rails have been added to extend the flare length on the wing rails. To match the long flare on the check rail opposite.

Which platform at Bristol TM? Can we find a cab-ride video on YouTube showing a drivers-eye view of this crossover? Anyone?

cheers,

Martin.

 

[dwolff]

Thanks Martin.

I tell a lie, that was taken from the train on the approach to Temple Meads on the local service from Avonmouth. Maybe a couple of hundred metres from the station. Yes they are such hugely long turnouts that it is difficult to see what it is. That's nice that you cropped out the piece in question. You can see they there is a sharpish angle about in the middle of the extra rail and planing of the rail too.

Dave

 

[dwolff]

Martin,

I've just had a look back at my snaps. A stroke of luck - I have another view of the same, I must have bent around as we zipped by. I just assumed that was the only view! You can more clearly see on this one.

Dave