{"id":587,"date":"2026-10-15T12:18:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T04:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/?p=587"},"modified":"2026-10-15T12:18:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T04:18:43","slug":"how-to-install-rail-bolts-in-a-turn-out-track-4f8c-3dbaf3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/15\/how-to-install-rail-bolts-in-a-turn-out-track-4f8c-3dbaf3\/","title":{"rendered":"How to install rail bolts in a turn – out track?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, Rail Bolt<\/a><\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re in the rail game, you know turnouts (those tricky switch and crossing sections) are the make-or-break spots for track reliability. I\u2019m the guy behind a rail bolt supply company, and I\u2019ve spent the last 12 years on job sites, helping installers get this right because cutting corners on turnout bolts = big headaches later\u2014think derailment scares, track downtime, and way more money spent fixing mistakes. Today, I\u2019m breaking down exactly how to install rail bolts in a turnout track, no fancy jargon, just the real stuff I teach our installers every week. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s cut to why turnouts are different from straight track. Straight track uses consistent spacing, straight rails, standard bolts. Turnouts? They have curved rails, moving parts (the switch points, guard rails), and uneven loads because trains shift when they take the switch. So their bolts aren\u2019t just any old M20s\u2014they need to hold tight through all that movement, no loose bolts mid-service, no snapped threads. I see installers skip this context all the time, and that\u2019s where half the bad installs go wrong.<\/p>\n

Before you even touch a bolt, you\u2019ve got to prep the area. No skimping on this\u2014prep takes 20 minutes max, and saves you hours later. First, lockout\/tagout (LOTO) is non-negotiable. I don\u2019t care if the line\u2019s been quiet for an hour\u2014those trains move fast, and last month I had a buddy who almost got creamed because he skipped LOTO on a side track. Next, clean the bolt holes. Turnouts get caked with dirt, rust, old track grease, even leaves that crumble into the holes. If you shove a bolt in a hole with gunk, it\u2019ll cross-thread or never seat right. Use a wire brush (or a compressed air gun if you\u2019ve got one) to blast every hole in the rail web and tie plate\u2014don\u2019t just brush the top, get the bottom too, where the bolt shank touches.<\/p>\n

Wait, here\u2019s a pro tip I only learned after my first bad install: sort your bolts by type first. Turnouts use three main bolt types, don\u2019t mix \u2019em up. 1) Hex head bolts for the main rail joints (longer shank, more tension). 2) Square neck bolts for switch points\u2014square shank keeps them from spinning when you tighten the nut (critical, since switch points move). 3) Guard rail bolts\u2014shorter, thicker, to handle the heavy side load from train wheels. Grab your specific bolt size from your spec sheet, don\u2019t guess. Most main turnout bolts are M22, but some small switch sections use M18\u2014double-check with the track engineer, that\u2019s non-negotiable.<\/p>\n

Next, fit the bolts. Slide the shank through the rail web hole first, then add the tie plate washer. Wait\u2014don\u2019t use just any washer, get the flat washer matched to your bolt size, and if it\u2019s a high-vibration turnout, use a lock washer too. I see installers skip lock washers all the time, and on switch sections, that leads to bolts backing off in 6 months. Now, thread on the nut. Hand-tighten it first, don\u2019t use a wrench yet\u2014this lets you adjust if the bolt is cross-threaded. If the nut doesn\u2019t turn smoothly, pull the bolt out, check the hole again, or grab a new bolt\u2014cross-threading ruins the bolt\u2019s thread, and it\u2019ll never hold.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the big part: tightening the bolts. Straight track installers usually tighten all bolts to a set torque, but turnouts? You can\u2019t do that. Different sections need different torque specs, and timing matters too\u2014you can\u2019t tighten all bolts at once in the wrong order. Let\u2019s break down the order, because I\u2019ve seen installers tighten the middle bolt first, and the rails shifted, ruining the switch alignment. Start from the outside of the turnout: work from the switch point, out to the main rail, never in one section at a time. For switch point bolts specifically, tighten them in a crisscross pattern\u2014tighten bolt 1, then bolt 3, then bolt 2, not 1,2,3. That keeps the switch point straight, no warping. As for torque, main rail bolts need 280-320 Nm, switch point bolts need 220-260 Nm, and guard rail bolts need 300-340 Nm. Wait\u2014don\u2019t just guess your torque wrench. Calibrate it that morning, every time. I keep a little sticker on my wrench that says the last calibration date, so I never forget. If your wrench isn\u2019t calibrated, the torque is useless\u2014you might under-tighten (loose bolts) or over-tighten (snapped bolt shank, stripped threads).<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s a rule no one tells you: always do a final torque check after 24 hours, and then again after 2 weeks. Turnouts settle, right? The rail expands and contracts with temperature, the tie plate settles into the track bed. I had a job last year where we tightened all bolts to spec, did a final check, left, and came back a week later with half the bolts loose. We fixed them right away, but that could\u2019ve been a derailment. So that follow-up is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n

Now, common mistakes I see every single time, so listen up. First, over-tightening. I\u2019ve had more snapped rail bolts from over-tightening turnouts than any other issue. The rail web can crack if you crank a bolt too hard, and that\u2019s a whole new track job. Second, mixing up bolt lengths. A lot of installers grab the nearest bolt, but if you use a too-long bolt, it\u2019ll poke through the tie plate and hit the track bed, causing friction that leads to wear. Too short, and the nut won\u2019t seat all the way, so it\u2019ll back off. Third, skipping bolt coating. Our supply comes with zinc plating, but if you\u2019re working on a high-corrosion area (coastal tracks, lines near steel mills), add anti-seize compound to the bolt shank before installing. That prevents rust seizing the bolt to the rail, so you can loosen it later if you need maintenance. I once worked on a coastal turnout where we skipped anti-seize, and 3 bolts seized so bad we had to cut them out with a torch\u2014cost the project 3 extra hours.<\/p>\n

As a rail bolt supplier, I\u2019ll tell you this: the right bolt makes all the difference here too. Cheap, generic bolts won\u2019t hold up to the vibration and load of a turnout. They snap easier, threads strip faster, and you\u2019ll be replacing them in a year. Our bolts are heat-treated, have precision-cut threads, and meet all railway industry specs, so our customers tell us their turnouts last 2x longer. It\u2019s not just selling bolts\u2014it\u2019s making sure you\u2019ve got the right parts to do the job right.<\/p>\n

Wait, one last thing: safety. No, I don\u2019t just mean LOTO (though that\u2019s still top). When you\u2019re working on the turnout, watch your hands\u2014rail bolts are heavy, sharp edges on the shank can cut you. Wear steel-toe boots, gloves, and hearing protection\u2014torque wrenches are loud. And never stand directly over the rail when tightening, if something slips, the bolt could fly up. I\u2019ve had a bolt slip once, missed my head by 2 inches\u2014never again.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re working on a turnout project and need reliable, spec-compliant rail bolts, or you\u2019ve got questions about torque specs, bolt types, or prep, hit us up to chat through your needs. We don\u2019t do one-size-fits-all, so we\u2019ll work with you to make sure you\u2019ve got exactly what you need for your track. Just reach out, and we can walk through it together.<\/p>\n

Rail Tie Plate<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering, Chapter 10: Track Components, Turnout and Switch Design, 2021<\/li>\n
  2. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Track Safety Standards, Part 213: Track Structure, 2022<\/li>\n
  3. Railway Engineering and Maintenance Association (REMA) Best Practices for Turnout Installation and Maintenance, 2020<\/li>\n
  4. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B107.14: Wrench Torque Testing for Fasteners in Railroad Track Applications, 2019<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    HENAN GNEE RAIL CO.,LTD.<\/a>
    HENAN GNEE RAIL CO.,LTD. is one of the most professional rail bolt manufacturers and suppliers in China, featured by quality products and low price. Please rest assured to buy cheap rail bolt in stock here from our factory. Contact us for customized service.
    Address: No.4-1114, Beichen Building, Beicang Town, Beichen District, Tianjin, China
    E-mail: info@gneerail.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.chinarailfastener.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey everyone, Rail Bolt If you\u2019re in the rail game, you know turnouts (those tricky switch … How to install rail bolts in a turn – out track?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[550],"class_list":["post-587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-rail-bolt-4e95-3df0f7"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aisyasyraf-thai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}