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A guard rail is a length of rail placed alongside the gauge side of a running rail opposite the frog. These exist to guide the wheel sets through flangeway in such a way as to prevent the frog point being struck. Generally, there are two of these for each frog, one by each outer rail. Guard rails are not required with a "self-guarded cast manganese" frog, as the raised parts of the casting serve the same purpose.
As the importance of protecting the point of the frog increased the Guard Rail evolved into a piece of Rail with part of the base machined away and either flares machined in to the head, the ends bent or both.
Flange-way was created by using separator blocks bolted between the running rail and the guard rail, the widths of which can become adjustable by using ‘split-blocks’ with variable thickness shims in place of cast one-piece separator blocks. The advantages of this design are many: Minimizes wheel hunting, ensures proper wheel travel, lengthens the life of the frog by protecting the point from impact, made from commonly rolled Domestic rail sections,
a variety of sizes and lengths, can be used in many applications (frog areas, concrete ties, wood ties, steel ties, in the switch, through crossings) and they are replaceable.
Selling Points:
- Made from Common Rail Sections
- Variable Lengths and Profiles available
- Domestic Sources
- Multiple Applications (Frog area, Switch area, Crossings, Curves, Concrete or Timber)
- Adjustable Flange-ways possible (with split-block design) for longer life.
- Replaceable
- Reduces Wheel wear in sharp curves