Railway fastener systems are key components to ensure track stability. According to different standards, they can be classified in many ways to meet the needs of various railway scenarios.
I. Classification by connection method
(I) Bolted fastener system
This type of system uses bolts and nuts to fasten the components together. It is a more traditional and widely used type. For example, the spring clip type I and type II fastener systems use spiral spikes to anchor the spring clips to the concrete sleepers. The buckling pressure generated by the spring clips firmly fixes the rails to the sleepers, and the gauge baffles and baffle seats cooperate to adjust the gauge. The bolted fastener system has a large buckling pressure and a relatively simple structure. It is suitable for ordinary railway trunk lines, heavy-load railways and other scenarios with high requirements for rail fixation. However, it is necessary to regularly check and tighten the bolts during daily maintenance to prevent the bolts from loosening due to train vibration.
(II) Boltless fastener system
The boltless fastener system does not require bolts for fastening, which simplifies the installation and disassembly process and reduces the maintenance workload. For example, some spring-type fastener systems use the elastic deformation of the spring itself to directly buckle the rail. This fastener system is often used in urban rail transit, small industrial railways and other scenarios, and has obvious advantages in places where frequent track maintenance is required or where there are high requirements for installation convenience.
II. Classification by application scenario
(I) Special fastener system for high-speed railways
High-speed railways run at high speeds and have extremely high requirements for track smoothness and stability. Therefore, their special fastener systems have the characteristics of high elasticity, high-precision track gauge retention ability and good insulation performance. For example, the WJ-7 and WJ-8 fastener systems independently developed by China adopt an elastic split structure, the spring bar provides a strong buckling pressure, and the rubber pad has a suitable elastic modulus, which can effectively buffer the impact and vibration generated by the train operation, and ensure the stability of the rails, and control the track gauge error within a very small range, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of high-speed trains.
(II) Special fastener system for heavy-duty railways
Heavy-duty railway transport has a large load capacity and high axle weight of trains, which places stringent requirements on the strength and durability of the fastener system. Such fastener systems need to have higher fastening force and fatigue resistance to withstand long-term crushing by heavy-duty trains.
(III) Urban rail transit fastener system
The operating environment of urban rail transit is complex, and there are special requirements for the vibration reduction, noise reduction, and stray current prevention performance of the fastener system. Some fastener systems will be equipped with special vibration-damping rubber pads, insulating components, etc., such as some elastic short rail sleeper fasteners. By adding elastic pads and rubber boots, the vibration and noise during train operation can be effectively reduced, and the impact on the surrounding environment can be reduced; at the same time, good insulation design can prevent stray current from corroding the track structure and underground pipelines.
III. Classification by elastic performance
(I) Elastic fastener system
The elastic fastener system contains a variety of elastic elements, such as spring bars, rubber pads, etc., which can effectively buffer the impact and vibration generated by train operation. It is suitable for railway lines with high requirements for vibration reduction, noise reduction and driving comfort, such as high-speed railways and urban rail transit. Elastic split fasteners are a typical example. By rationally designing the elastic parameters of the spring bars and rubber pads, the fastener system provides sufficient clamping pressure to fix the rails while having good elastic vibration reduction performance.
(II) Rigid fastener system
The elasticity of the rigid fastener system is relatively small, and it mainly relies on the rigid connection between the components to fix the rails. It is generally used for special lines with low elasticity requirements, such as internal transportation tracks of some factories and mines. This type of fastener system has a simple structure and low cost, but its performance in vibration reduction and noise reduction is not as good as that of the elastic fastener system.