678 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



Railroad. Tbe Z-iron was 5 inches high and weighed 45 pounds to 

 the yard. The track consisted of longitudinal under sills, which sup- 

 ported the cross-ties, 3i by <J inches and 7 feet long. The wooden por- 

 tion of rail was made to lit closely against the stem and under the head 

 of the Z-iron, to which it was joined by five-eighths inch bolts with screw 

 nuts. The iron and wood stringer was laid to " break joints," so that no 

 splice bars except a base plate was needed at the joints. 



A section of an ingeniously devised all iron compound rail laid on the 

 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1848 is shown in Fig. 56 A section of 

 the original rail is in the collection. 



Fig. 56. 

 Compound Kail, Baltimore and Ohio Eailuoad, 1848. 



From original section in iii« U. S. National Museum. J 



Several of the railway companies in New York State laid a large 

 mileage of compound rails of various-patterns. 



Fig. 57 is a drawing of a compound rail weighing 75 pounds to the 

 yard, on the New York Central Railroad in 1855. 



i" — . 



Fig. 57. 

 Compound Kail, New Vokk Central Railuoad, I8.v r >. 



Fri original section in the U S. National Museum. ) 



Four sections of compound rails in use in New York in 1855 are shown. 



Fig. 58. Compound rail. New York Central Railroad. Sixty pounds 

 to the yard. 



Fig. 59. Compound rail. New York Central Railroad. Seventy-five 

 pounds to the yard. 



Fig. 60. Compound rail. Troy Union Railroad. Sixty-five pounds 

 to the yard. 



Fig. 61. Wide compound rail. Troy Union Railroad. Sixty-five 

 pounds to the yard. 



