Abstract: A brake shoe (1) for a railway brake has a dovetail slot (4) in its front face for receiving a projection (3) of complementary shape on a brake pad (2) for mounting the pad on the shoe, and a retainer (6) slidably mounted in an aperture in the shoe and having a tongue (8) which projects into the slot for retaining the pad on the shoe, the retainer being biased by leaf-springs (10) fixed to the rear face of the shoe into an operative position so that danger of the retainer being left in a retracted position after a pad replacement operation is eliminated.

Abstract: A friction pad assembly for rail vehicle brakes comprises a pad of friction material carried by a rigid backing plate, and the backing plate is detachably mounted on a shoe. A keeper is provided which includes a clamping member pivotally mounted on one end of the shoe. The clamping member has a clamp face which acts on one end of the backing plate to urge the backing plate into engagement with the shoe. The clamping member is urged into an operative clamping position by a wedge which is releasably driven between the clamping member and a relatively stationary surface in a block which is either integral with, or releasably attached to, the shoe.