There are numerous ways to fasten a rail to a crosstie. These include traditional spikes and a wide variety of elastic fasteners (clips), which are available to suit any application. Gauge-holding capability, resiliency, noise reduction, ease of installation and maintenance, low life-cycle cost, and safety are just some of the qualities railroads rely on in order to function under heavy traffic ranging from heavy-haul freight to high-speed passenger rail to transit.
Railway Age contacted fastening system suppliers to find out about their latest technologies, which are evaluated at facilities like MxV Rail. Following is a roundup of offerings from those which responded to our inquiries.
J.Lanfranco
J.Lanfranco fastener systems are focused on a clear promise to rail operators: maximize safety and track time, the company tells Railway Age. Field reports confirm measurably longer maintenance intervals, fewer service interruptions, and durable performance under vibration—benefits that keep crews safer and trains on schedule.
“We’ve expanded our portfolio with all-metal square locknuts engineered for track and frog bolts, complementing our proven ESL & THU dual-slotted locknuts,” J.Lanfranco said. “The nuts can be hand turned on to roughly 90% of height for quick staging and then run down with standard impact tools and can be backed off for alignment and re-torqued as needed—practical features that shorten installation time and reduce risk on site.”
With large inventories of finished goods and raw material in North America, J.Lanfranco says it has “insulated customers from longer mill lead times. As tariff uncertainty shifts some buyers from long blanket orders to larger spot purchases, we’ve tuned stocking and planning for reliable JIT delivery. Our biggest challenge is a good one: bringing new machines online to match strong demand.”
J.Lanfranco locknuts are approved for jointed rail, specialty trackwork, structures, and rolling stock, and are stocked across the U.S. and Canada in standard sizes and dimensions. With expanded product capability, resilient local supply, and faster, familiar installation, the company says it “helps railways reduce risk, compress work windows, and maximize safe track time.”
U.S. domestic manufacturer Lewis Bolt & Nut Company has been largely insulated from tariffs and other global supply chain pressures. (Lewis Bolt & Nut Company)
Lewis Bolt & Nut Company
“At Lewis Bolt & Nut Company, we are continually investing in research and development to bring innovative fastening solutions to the rail industry,” said VP of Sales George Apostolou. “Our focus is on improving performance, reliability, and ease of installation for our customers. Internally, we leverage advanced manufacturing technologies and quality-control systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across all product lines. This commitment to innovation—both in the products we design and in the processes we use to produce them—allows us to stay ahead of industry needs and deliver solutions that help our customers maintain safer, more cost-effective track infrastructure.”
Market conditions have shifted over the past year, with tariffs and global supply chain pressures driving up costs for many in the industry, the company tells Railway Age. “As a domestic manufacturer, we’ve been largely insulated from those disruptions, allowing us to maintain stable lead times and reliable supply. Demand has remained steady, so our focus continues to be on efficiency and supporting our customers with consistent, high-quality fastening solutions.”
“Market conditions in 2025 were relatively flat,” notes Apostolou, adding that the company’s overall business outlook for 2026 “is positive as we continue to roll out the Viper-1® rail anchor and remain the largest domestic manufacturer of fasteners.”
MxV Rail
At MxV Rail’s FAST® Loop, fastener test zones feature various tie plates, fasteners, spikes, and anchors installed on a six-degree curve with five inches of superelevation. Since the construction of the new loop, these zones have accumulated more than 240 MGT under an 18,000-ton train of 315,000-pound freight cars operating at 40 mph, said Scott Cummings, AVP Research and Innovation, MxV Rail.
“Testing is being conducted on tie plates with elastic fasteners and curve block plates, which provide greater resistance to rail rollover and gauge widening compared to traditional AREMA plates. Newly designed anchors and screw spikes aimed at improving anchor slip/spike holding performance are also being evaluated against conventional components. In addition, a screw spike design intended to reduce spike breakage on bridges is under testing. To date, no significant component failures have
been observed.”
In the meantime, Cummings says that ongoing track stability research is also investigating the role of fasteners and anchors. “While there are currently no direct comparisons of fasteners and anchor types for RNT-related tests, the different longitudinal restraints are important for current RNT and track buckling modeling efforts.”
Complementing the field work, a laboratory study is being conducted to assess the performance of four commonly used anchors in the industry, according to Cummings. The testing considers the effects of accumulated MGT, the number of reapplications, and anchor sliding.
L.B. Foster direct fixation fasteners feature vulcanized rubber-bonded technology for superior vibration and noise mitigation. (L.B. Foster)
L.B. Foster
As a trusted name in rail infrastructure for more than a century, L.B. Foster says it “continues to lead the way in direct fixation fastener technology, adapting to evolving market dynamics and capitalizing on new opportunities in a rapidly transforming industry.”
L.B. Foster’s direct fixation fasteners have long been a cornerstone of reliable rail infrastructure, the company tells Railway Age. Today, L.B. Foster is advancing this legacy with next-generation fastener systems designed for enhanced performance and ease of installation. These systems feature:
Vulcanized rubber-bonded technology for superior vibration and noise mitigation.
Improved electrical isolation and reduced component complexity for streamlined maintenance.
Customizable configurations including canted and non-canted rail seats, lateral adjustment capabilities, and compatibility with existing anchorage points.
With more than 60 qualified fastener designs and more than five million units delivered, L.B. Foster says, “it remains committed to innovation that meets the evolving needs of transit agencies and engineers alike.”
Federal infrastructure grants, including IIJA and CRISI funding, “are proving to be strong tailwinds for L.B. Foster and continue to drive demand for heavy rail and transit upgrades, creating opportunities across the business,” the company added.
Howmet
This month, Howmet is releasing its new Bobtail® R, which the company says is “everything manufacturers have come to expect from Huckbolts®.”
“It is permanent, reliable, and maintenance-free,” Howmet tells Railway Age. “It also installs using standard Bobtail® tools so it’s easy to train assemblers to use it, eliminating the need for skilled welders on those joints. Bobtail® R also delivers the expected Huck® strength because, unlike traditional bolts and nuts, it installs using direct tension. This installation method delivers controlled clamp, high tensile strength, and high shear resistance,” according to the company.
The difference is, unlike traditional Huckbolts®, Bobtail® R is fully removable with torque tools. Whatever tool a manufacturer uses today to install a traditional bolt and nut can be used to remove Bobtail® R when it’s time for service or repair.
“To us, this is a step change in our technology. It’s really exciting. Bobtail® R is an easy-to-install, vibration-resistant, permanent fastener. Until you don’t need it to be,” Howmet said.
The company also launched another new product in April 2025 that is intended for electrified systems. The Huck® Grounding Stud is engineered to provide reliable conductivity to the electrical circuits. It installs using standard Bobtail® tooling, with interference-fit knurls that provide good contact to produce conductivity. Like all Huckbolts®, it’s a permanent, vibration-resistant installation, and the consistent clamp delivered during installation means that the contact “is consistent and repeatable with every installation,” Howmet said. “Another key benefit is that the installation is easy to learn and fast and doesn’t require skilled welders or the surface prep required with
weld studs.”
Besides updates from a technology standpoint, Howmet says it has “seen volatility in the commercial transportation markets due to tariff and regulatory uncertainty.” “We’re still positioned well because we manufacture the majority of our products in the U.S., and that gives manufacturers some measure of certainty and stability,” Howmet said.
Additionally, the company says it has “very few issues with sourcing,” but that it does source wire for its fasteners well in advance of manufacturing. “Sudden market changes can cause friction, but we do our best to stay ahead of that by monitoring market conditions and staying in close contact with our OEM customers. We do source some of our materials from non-U.S. sources so we have seen a tariff impact there but are doing what we can to mitigate that where we can,” Howmet added.
