In rail terminology, fishplate, splicing rod or connecting rod is a kind of metal rod, which is fixed at the ends of two rails with bolts to connect them together to form a track. The top and bottom edges taper inward so that when bolted in place, the device wedges itself between the top and bottom of the guide rail. In railway transportation modeling, the fishplate is usually a small copper or nickel silver plate that slides onto two tracks to provide the function of maintaining alignment and electrical continuity.