Re: Tie Plates-held by more spikes

The primary need of tie plates on the narrow gauge is to prevent the rail from being spread on a curve. The plate also reduces the rail from cutting into the tie but the number of spikes holding the rail is most important.
Without a tie plate, you can only fit two spikes up against the rail on say, an outside rail of a curve. If those spikes work loose or the spike hole is spread, they will not prevent the rail from spreading against the push of the train, and they cannot be plugged and fixed. The tie must be changed.
Now if a 6 or 8 hole tie plate is used which has a rail shoulder that the rail will sit in, then all the spikes put into that tie plate will act as a holding spike to prevent the rail from moving. So using the tie plate, 4 spikes – one on each side of the rail, and the other two in other secure parts of the tie, you get the benefit of all 4 spikes preventing gauge spread. In the first case 6 spikes were used in the tie and only two acted to prevent spread, while with the tie plate, 8 spikes could be used in the tie and 4 outer rail spikes all did the service, with 200% improvement in holding power, and the tie was less stressed by close spiking.