Now we have some straight rails the correct length. We need to bend them to produce a splayed end starting in the correct place, the correct length and with the correct offset. This piece of kit is worth its weight in gold and it weights more than a few blocks of gold! A rail Jim crow. The rail head sits in the three jaws and the wheel is wound around to pull the centre jaw out of line to produce a set in the rail. It works best if the rail is softened by heating. Photo: Graham Peacock