RAILWAY Credits : Steel rails, 3520 yards at 80 tb = 12of tons, at 3, 15s 471 11 3 Chairs, 3872, at 42 lb = 72 tons, at 2 145 Fish-plates (clip), 352 pairs at 35 lt = 5j tons, at 3, 10s 19 5 Wrought-iron scrap, 2 tons, at 3 6 Sleepers, 1930, at 9d. each 72 12 Total credits .. ...714 8 3 Net cost of relaying 858 2 Not included in the above : Ballast for 1 mile of single line, 4000 cubic yards, at 2s. = 400; ballast for 1 mile of double line, 7000 cubic yards, at 2s. = 700 ; ballast for a lift of about 3 inches, in relaying 1 mile of single line, 520 cubic yards, at 2s. = 52 ; engine hire, wages of ballast guards, use of waggons, &c., in relaying 1 mile of single line, 50. The lift of 3 inches signi- fies the wear and tear of ballast and the quantity required to be replaced. The standard rail on the London and North-Western Railway is, like that of the Midland, bull-headed, but less high and wider at the head and the foot and thicker in the web. The chairs have the peculiarity of being ribbed horizontally on the inner face against which the oak key is driven, in order to grip the key. The sleepers at the joints are placed 2 feet 3 inches npai t between centres. The Great Northern Company's standard rail contrasts with the two immediately preceding rails in being less high than either, and having a thinner web and a larger head than the others. There are peculiarities in the disposition of the way. The first is that the joints of the rails are supported in a chair directly under each joint, to which the fishes are bolted ; the second is that the two rails forming a line of way break joint with each other, the joints alternating from side to side, and that, as a consequence, all the sleepers are placed equally apart. On this system, it is argued, the way is of as nearly uniform strength as it is possible to make it. The keys for fixing the rails are of compressed fir. The Great Western, the Metropolitan, and the Lancashire and Yorkshire rails are the heaviest of the bull -headed rails noticed in Table XXVIII. (see below), weighing 86 lb per yard, having comparatively thin webs and great development of head (see fig. 34). In the Great Western chair the inner face of the jaw that holds the key is formed with an indenta- tion, to aid in keeping the key in place, the key being likely to expand into the vacancy. In the Metropolitan way the chairs are fast- ened to the sleepers by two through bolts and nuts to each chair. The rails of the FlG - 34. Bull - headed Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Rail- R^ay way are placed in chairs of great length, 16| inches ; and, contrary to usual practice, the oak keys for securing the rails in the chairs are fixed on the inner side of the rail, the rail taking its bearing directly upon the jaw of the chair. Thus the lateral strokes of the wheels on the rails are resisted directly by the jaw of the chair, and not through the medium of the key. There are twelve sleepers to each length of rail, averaging 2 feet 6 inches apart between centres, as against the usual number on other lines, eleven per rail-length of 30 feet. The -sleepers, of Baltic redwood, are not creasoted nor preserved by any other pro- cess, except in one or two places where sand ballast is used. The leading particulars of standard double-headed and bull- headed rails, with chairs and sleepers, are given in Table XXVIII. (see below). Specimen standard flange rails are illustrated in figs. 35 and 36 Flange in cross section. Leading particulars of flange rails are given in rails. Table XXIX. below. In the case of the flange rail of the New South Wales Railway (fig. 35) the inward cant of the rails is provided for by planing out by machinery the beds of the rails at the upper sides of the sleepers to the angle 1 in 20 ; and that the rails may be kept in gauge the beds are notched into the surface by as much as the thickness of the flange of the rail. No holes of any kind, either punched or drilled, are made in the flanges of the rails ; these are fastened to the sleepers by screws and spikes alternately, having projecting heads, by which the flange is clipped and held down. In order to check the tendency to creeping of the rails as well as of the fish-plates, it is intended to flange the fish-plates and to cut a notch at each end of them, in each of which a dog-spike is to be Fig. 35. Fig. 36. Fig. 37. Fio. 35. Flange rail ; New South Wales Railway. FIG. 36. Flange rail ; Midland Great Western Railway. Fio. 37. Bridge rail ; Great Western Railway. driven into the sleepers. The Great Northern of Ireland rail is similar to Mr Fowler's on the New South Wales Railway, but heavier. The Midland Great Western rail (fig. 36) is peculiarly formed, with a web of taper section, being nine-sixteenths of an inch thick at the head, and thickened to 1 inch at the flange. The bridge rail of the Great Western Railway (fig. 37) is laid on the model originally adopted by Mr Brunei. The rails are only 3 inches high, and are aided in resisting vertical stress by the con- tinuous longitudinal sleepers of large scantling, 14 inches wide and 7 deep, on which they are laid, with pine packing 8 inches wide and 1 thick. The rails are laid so as to break joint with the sleepers, which are in lengths of 25 . feet, whilst the rails are from 18 to 32 feet in length. The rails are fastened down by fang-bolts, TABLE XXVIII. Standard Double-headed and Bull-headed Hails, ivith Chairs and Sleepers. Railway. Weight of Rail per Yard. Dimensions of Rail. Fish- plates Chairs. Number of Sleepers. Height. Width of Head. Thick- ness of Web. Length- of Bars. Weight. Width of Sole. Sole flat or rounded. Spikes. Tre- nails. Total. Section. Distance apart. Double-headed rails New South Wales South- Eastern ft. 76 82 82 82 72 85 84 82 86 86 80 86 80 76 Inches. 61 5i 5J 5f 4J 5f 51 5ft 8* 5ft '5| 5J 5 6J Inches. s 2* 2J 2J 2f 2| 2f 2J 2J 4 2f full 2i Inch. 4 ,i ii if f f bare it Feet. 21,24 24 30 30 30 30 30 30 26, 29, 32 24 30 30 30 26 plain plain clip plain plain clip clip plain plain clip plain plain plain clip >. 26 81i 40 40 35 50 45 40 39 40,51 55 35 Inches. 4
- ?
4 8 5f joints 7, 7} ? 6 flat flat flat cushion flat rounded rounded flat rounded flat flat flat flat flat o spiked 4 3 2 2 2 bolts a 3 2 3 3 2
- renails
2 2 3 id nuts 2 2 2 3 4 3 4 4 3 2 2 3 4 3 3 in. x in. 10 X 5 10 X 5 10 X 5 10 X 5 10X4J 10X5 10 X 5 10 X 5 12x6 12 x 6 10X5 10 X 5 10x4i 10x5 ft. in. 3 1 2 8 2 10 2 9 a 9f 3 3 1 2 8| 2 9 2 6 (as.) 2 9t 2 9f 3 London and S. -Western North-Eastern Great X. of Scotland . . Boll-headed rails- Midland . . London and N.- Western Great Northern Great Western Metropolitan . . Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire . . Lancashire and York- shire Great N. of Scotland . . Great N. of Ireland . . TABLE XXIX. Specimen Standard Flange Rails ; in Cross Section. Railway. Rail. Weight of Rail per yd. Dimensions of Rail. Fish-plates. Sleepers. Height. Width of Head. Width of Flange. Thickness of Web. Length of Bars. Section. Distance apart. New South Wales flange bridge Ib. "* 79 79 74 68 Inches. 4J 4| m
- A
3 Inches. 2J 2* 2 2f 2| Inches. 4| 5 5 5 3 Inch. A
fttol ft 2 webs, } Feet. 24 26 23, 26J 24 18 to 32 plain plain flanged flanged joint-plate Inches x inches. 10x5 10 X 5 10 x 5 f 10 X 5 )
9x5f
f 14 x 7 ) ( longitudinal f Feet in. 3 1 3 continuous Great Northern of Ireland Midland Great Western Great Southern and Western Great Western
