Track rail fastening system having cantilevered third rail support bracket and direct fixation fastener assembly for same

A direct fixation fastener assembly comprising:

• a direct fixation fastener including a metallic frame having an upper rail plate, and a non-metallic jacket;
• a laterally elongated support block including a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a forward side, a back side, a ground-facing lower side, and an upper side opposite to the lower side and having an upper fastening surface;
• at least one of, the first lateral side and the second lateral side, or the forward side and the back side, together form an upwardly narrowed taper;
• a first set of fastener holes are formed in the support block and open in the upper fastening surface, and fastener-clamping anchors are resident in the first set of fastener holes to receive fastener-clamping fasteners for clamping the direct fixation fastener to the upper fastening surface;
• a second set of fastener holes are formed in the support block and open in the upper fastening surface, and bracket-clamping anchors are resident in the second set of fastener holes to receive bracket-clamping fasteners for clamping a third-rail bracket to the upper fastening surface;
• and
• the first set of fastener holes are arranged in a first anchor pattern, and the second set of fastener holes are arranged in a second anchor pattern different from the first anchor pattern.

A direct fixation fastener assembly comprising:

• a direct fixation fastener;
• a laterally elongated support block including a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a ground-facing lower side, and an upper side opposite to the lower side and having an upper fastening surface;
• a first set of fastener holes are formed in the support block and open in the upper fastening surface to receive fastener-clamping fasteners for clamping the direct fixation fastener to the upper fastening surface;
• a second set of fastener holes are formed in the support block and open in the upper fastening surface to receive bracket-clamping fasteners for clamping a third-rail support bracket to the upper fastening surface adjacent to the direct fixation fastener;
• and
• the first set of fastener holes are arranged in a first anchor pattern, and are confined in distribution to a right-side portion of the support block extending from the first lateral side toward the second lateral side;
• and
• the second set of fastener holes are arranged in a second anchor pattern different from the first anchor pattern, and are confined in distribution to a left-side portion of the support block extending from the second lateral side toward the first lateral side.