Lesson plan
fishplate
A fishplate, splice bar or joint bar is a metal or composites connecting plate used to bolt the ends of two rails into a continuous track. The name is derived from fish, a wooden "fillet" used to repair or reinforce a ship's mast, or to help round out its desired profile. The top and bottom faces taper inwards along their short dimensions to create an even alignment between the two rails when the fish plate is wedged into place by tightening its bolts during installation. In rail transport modelling, a fishplate is often a small copper or nickel silver plate that slips onto both rails to provide the functions of maintaining both alignment and electrical continuity.
Article summary
A fishplate, splice bar or joint bar is a metal or composites connecting plate used to bolt the ends of two rails into a continuous track. The name is derived from fish, a wooden "fillet" used to repair or reinforce a ship's mast, or to help round out its desired profile. The top and bottom faces taper inwards along their short dimensions to create an even alignment between the two rails when the fish plate is wedged into place by tightening its bolts during installation. In rail transport modelling, a fishplate is often a small copper or nickel silver plate that slips onto both rails to provide the functions of maintaining both alignment and electrical continuity.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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