ENGLISH TRACK ON THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD. By Jos. T. RICHARDS, Chief Engineer of Maintenance of Way. In the middle eighties, Mr. Frank Thomson, then Second Vice-President of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, while abroad became interested in the question of the comparative merits of English and American track. He accordingly authorized the purchase of two miles of London & North Western Railroad standard track for trial in comparison with American standard track under American conditions. In order to give the track a fair trial it was distributed among the four main line divisions (one-half mile to each), so that it would have different roadbed, different climate and different men to care for it, watch and record its performance and make the final decision, which was thought to be the most impartial way of making the test of this track as compared with ours. The New York Division has a sandy, well-drained roadbed, the Philadelphia Division runs through a loamy, rich farming section, while the Middle and Pittsburgh divisions are in mountainous and rocky country. There was also a discussion at that time as to the comparative merits of track laid with metal and wooden cross-ties. For this reason, in onehalf of the two miles, metal ties were used and wooden ties in the other half. Also, metal keys were used with the metal ties and white oak keys on the sections laid with wooden ties. The trial was made on first-class roadbed with stone ballast, with the result, as shown in the report, that the English track did not last as long as the American type (the former having an average life of five years and the latter ten or more years), that the metal ties were not as satisfactory for holding the track in line and the metal wedges failed and had to be replaced with wooden ones and the metal ties did not last as long as the wooden; also that the metal in the English rail did not last as long as the metal in the American rail. The cost was about twice as much (both first cost and cost of maintenance) as that of Pennsylvania Railroad standard track. REPORT ON THE ENGLISH TRACK LAID ON THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD, 1887, 1888.* The two miles of "English track" laid in the four main line divisions of the Pennsylvania Railroad between Jersey City and Pittsburgh was of the London & North Western Railway standard, and was of two types, viz.: (1) I mile laid with metal sleepers (cross-ties). Inspection and compilation of results in charge of Maintenance of Way Department, Jos. T. Richards, Chief Engineer of Maintenance of Way. The steel rails of this standard are known as the "Bull-head pattern," 90 lbs. per yard (see page 293), differing from the P. R. R. T-rail (see page 293) in that it is "double headed" instead of having a flat base. They were made by the Darlington Steel & Iron Company, Darlington, England, to the following specifications: "LONDON & NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY. "Specifications for Bessemer Steel Rails. "The London & North Western Railway Company require tons of rails. "The rails are to be bull-headed,' according to the template provided by the Company, of which the sketch at the foot of this page is a copy, weighing not less than 89 and not more than 91 lbs. per yard; they are to be rolled in lenghts of 30 ft. each; to be perfectly straight and true, and of uniform section throughout their entire length. "The ends are to be cut square off. "The finishing groove of the rolls is to bear the maker's name, the date of rolling and the following letters, 'L. N. W. R. Steel.' "The rails are to be fish-jointed, and must have at each end two holes, each 1% of an inch in diameter, drilled through the web out of the solid, so as not to raise any projection beyond the uniform surface of the rail, and so as to insure the fish plate accurately fitting the rail for its entire length. "The holes are to be drilled in accordance with the template which will be supplied to the contractor. "The Company shall be at liberty (if they deem it necessary) to send their Engineer, or his assistant, to the Works to examine or superintend the mode of manufacture, and to reject such rails as he may consider unfit for use. "Each rail is to be made from an ingot not less than 10 in. square at the smaller end and of sufficient weight to allow all the unsound part to be cut off each end of the rail, leaving the finished rail sound throughout its entire length. "The ingot may be reduced either by hammering or rolling, at the option of the maker, but he must state when tendering which method he proposes to adopt. "The rail must stand without breaking a permanent deflection of three (3) inches in a length of 3 ft. This deflection must be produced by one blow of a weight falling from a height of not less than 20 ft. upon the center of a rail placed head uppermost upon two supports 3 ft. apart. "The pieces of rail tested need not exceed 3 ft. 6 in. in length, but they must be cut from rails which are average samples of the make, selected haphazard by the Company's Engineer. "A number of rails not exceeding in weight 10 per cent. of the total weight delivered will be accepted by the Company if cut to any of the following lengths, viz.: 27, 24, 21, 18 or 15 ft., provided that they have not been cut from rails which have failed under the falling weight test or are of inferior quality in any respect or have been purposely rolled of a length shorter than 30 ft. "The Contractor will not be permitted to sub-let the manufacture of these rails. "The Contractor must deliver the whole of the rails by the end of in such weekly installments as may be agreed upon. "Correct invoices of every delivery, stating the number of rails in each wagon, must be sent addressed as shall be directed, and no rails will be considered received until certified in writing by the party to whom they are to be sent. "Payments in cash will be made within two months of the date of each delivery, provided the rails are found in all respects satisfactory. marked "The accompanying form of tender to be filled up and forwarded to the Stores Committee not later than 10 o'clock on outside, 'Tender for Rails.' "Euston Station, London, 187-." "FORM OF TENDER. Steel Rails. "For Supplying the London & North Western Railway Company with hereby agree to supply and deliver tons of *Steel Rails, according to the terms and conditions set forth in the accompanying Specifications, at the following prices, viz.: further agree to allow a reduction of One Pound (£1) for each ton of Rails which may not be delivered by the time stated in the Specifications; such deduction to be made from any money which may be due by the Company to on account of previous deliveries, and also to guarantee them against failure from imperfections of manufacture or faulty material, for a period of years. "Name "To The Stores Committee, London & North Western Railway Company, Euston Station, London. *(Here insert hammered or rolled.)" These English rails are carried in chairs and held in place by a wooden key, 6 in. long, driven between the rail and the chair. The connection between the metal cross-tie and the chair is riveted. In the wooden tie it is made by lag screws and drive-bolts-all as shown on plans herewith. The cross-ties of both kinds are 9 ft. long, those of wood being 10 in. wide by 5 in. thick. In this instance the Pennsylvania Railroad standard white oak cross-tie, 81⁄2 ft. long, of selected width, were used. In both types 10 ties are laid to every 30 ft. The comparative weight of track material laid with both kinds of cross-ties is as follows: The full bill of material, exclusive of the wooden ties, for the two miles of track received from England, and the cost of same delivered in New York City, was as follows: BILL OF MATERIALS FOR TWO MILES ENGLISH TRACK. (One mile wooden ties; one mile steel sleepers.) 3.520 pieces tarred felt, 387 iron chairs, duties, etc..... 412.88 $26,112 70 The above bill provided for the laying of one mile of single track with steel cross-ties and one mile with wooden cross-ties, and was laid in half-mile sections as follows: New York Division-1⁄2 mile laid with steel ties. Pittsburgh Division-1⁄2 mile laid with wooden ties. To lay a half mile of track of each type, the following material was required: For One-half Mile of Track with Steel Ties. 176 Steel rails, each 30 ft. long. 352 Fish plates. 880 Steel sleepers complete (10 to a 30-ft. rail), 9 ft. long. 704 Bolts with hexagon nuts. 1,760 Steel keys. For One-half Mile of Track with Wooden Ties. 176 Steel rails, each 30 ft. long. 352 Fish plates. 880 Wooden sleepers (cross-ties), 10 to 30-ft. rail, P. R. R. standard, 81⁄2 ft. long, selected width. 1,760 Cast-iron chairs (45 lbs. each). 704 Bolts and hexagon nuts. 3,520 Galvanized screws. 3,520 Spikes. 3,520 Creosoted oak ferrules. 1,760 Pieces of felt punched for chairs. 1,760 Creosoted compressed oak keys. The cost of material and expense of laying one-half mile of each |