Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Insulated joints are used to divide tracks into individual sections or "blocks" , for the signalling system , and insulate each block electrically from each other. When I first joined the railways , almost 20 yrs ago, "glued joints" were new , and many of the old "mechanical" insulated joints were still in use, These would wear out and short the track circuits together , and could be a pain to fix! Glued joints are much stronger and last for decades , but need to be welded in , so Thermite welds are often used for this purpose.
Insulated joints are used to divide tracks into individual sections or "blocks" , for the signalling system , and insulate each block electrically from each other. When I first joined the railways , almost 20 yrs ago, "glued joints" were new , and many of the old "mechanical" insulated joints were still in use, These would wear out and short the track circuits together , and could be a pain to fix! Glued joints are much stronger and last for decades , but need to be welded in , so Thermite welds are often used for this purpose.
