What is APC Type Rail Shoulder?

An APC type rail shoulder is a component of a railway fastening system, typically a cast-in iron piece in a concrete sleeper, that secures the elastic rail clips to hold the rail in place. It is a key part of the Russian and CIS-developed APC-4 (or ARS-4) fastener system, designed to provide a stable and reliable fastening for heavy-load and conventional railway lines.

Function: The rail shoulder acts as the anchor point for the elastic rail clip, ensuring the clip can exert strong clamping force on the rail to keep it stable and secure on the sleeper.

Part of a System: It is not a standalone component but an integral part of the larger APC fastening system, which includes clips, anchors, and other elements.

Application: TheAPC-4 system, and by extension its shoulders, is specifically designed for Russian and CIS railway systems and is used on both conventional and heavy-load mainlines.

Manufacturing: These shoulders are typically made from materials like grey iron and are produced by sand casting.

The Rail shoulder is semi-embedded part cast in the concrete rail ties to fix the elastic rail clip to the base plate, There are two Common types of rail shoulders available from GNEE RAIL, Cast-in Shoulder and Weld-on Shoulder, both of which are used for the fixing of elastic rail clips. One is Single Stem Iron Shoulder used in pre-stressed concrete ties and the other is Twin Stem Iron Shoulder used in Bi-Block or Twin Block concrete ties.

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