Railway tie plate retention devices and methods to facilitate railway tie replacement

A method for a retention device to retain a railway tie plate, the method comprising:

• forming a push pin;
• forming a head section;
• forming an insert section adjacent to the head section, where the insert section fits in a spike hole of a railway tie plate and is dimensioned to receive the push pin;
• where the head section and the insert section are formed to define an internal tapered bore;
• and
• adapting the head section and the insert section so that, when the insert section is inserted in the spike hole of the railway tie plate, the head section engages a railway rail and the insert section engages the railway tie plate to mechanically interlock the railway tie plate with the railway rail to allow suspension of the railway tie plate from the railway rail without a railway tie based at least in part on insertion of the push pin into the internal tapered bore to cause at least a portion of an external taper of the insert section to engage interior faces of the railway tie plate corresponding to the spike hole to create a friction fit.

A method for retaining a railway tie plate, the method comprising:

• mechanically interlocking, with a retention device, a railway tie plate with a railway rail to allow suspension of the railway tie plate from the railway rail without a railway tie, where the retention device comprises:
• a push pin;
• a head section;
• and
• an insert section adjacent to the head section, where the insert section fits in a spike hole of the railway tie plate and is dimensioned to receive the push pin;
• where the head section and the insert section are formed to define an internal tapered bore;
• and
• the mechanically interlocking comprises inserting the insert section in the spike hole of the railway tie plate so that the head section engages the railway rail and the insert section engages the railway tie plate based at least in part on insertion of the push pin into the internal tapered bore to cause at least a portion of an external taper of the insert section to engage interior faces of the railway tie plate corresponding to the spike hole to create a friction fit.