Use of plastic shims in railway fishplates 1

[studio1972]

I am looking into using a plastic shim instead of grease to provide lubrication for the fishplates used to join rails together. The plates are bolted firmly together at either sid of the rails and allow the railes to expand/contract as the temperature varies. Grease is currently used to lubricate this metal to metal contact but I am looking into using a plastic shim instead.

A manufacturer has recommended Devlon A153 to me which is a wear resistant nylon. The same supplier also does a material (Devlube)with lubricant within it but this is not availabe in thin sheets so the machining cost would be prohibitive. My questions are as follows:

1. Is Devlon A153 likely to be up to the task or will it wear out after a year or 2?
2. Would there be any benefit in soaking the A153 material in oil or grease so that it soaks it up?
3. Are there any Devlube type materials which are available in sheets of say 1 to 3mm thickness?

Thx in advance.

 

[plastx]

I'm not familiar with Devlon but it's possible that a nylon may work. Be sure to check on long-term outdoor exposure when you consider nylons. An alternative, though might be higher in cost, would be PTFE. Filled versions are available in 1mm thick "tape". Wouldn't need lube and I've seen rail wear plates on the cars made from PTFE.

Mike