DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN RAIL AND TRACK. 



687 



Sections of rail rolled by the Phoenix Iron Works during the years 

 1855, 1856, and 1857 are illustrated under the paragraph devoted to 

 splices. (See Figs. 115, 110, 117.) 



THE STEVENS RAIL IN EUROPE. 



About 1837 a rail with a base similar to the Stevens rail was designed 

 by Charles Blacker Viguoles, an English railway engineer, and the 

 names "Vignoles's rail" and "contractor's rail" have been applied to 

 the various modifications of the Stevens rail, both in England and on 

 the continent, since that time. 



A section of the Stevens rail, 4i inches high, with a base 6 inches 

 wide, in use on the Great Western Railway of England in 1858, is 

 shown in Fig. 87, which is made from a drawing in the collection. This 



.... Sreat Western of England J^l 



////////////////m^ ^ f or Longitudinal System,////// 



Fig. 87. 

 Stevens Hail laid on Great Western* Railway, of England (longitudinal system), 1858. 



From -i drawing in the l S< National Must ■ '.. 



rail was made with a wide base in order that it should have sufficient 

 bearing on the stringer, to which it was attached by screw bolts. The 

 Great Western was a broad-gauge railroad, the gauge being 7 feet. 



Fig. 88. 



Stkveks Rail adopi kd bi the K"y w 

 Railw w of Sweden, 1854. 



. -in' U S National H 



Weal«rn Railway cr France. 

 Swiss .Cordova .and Sfcvi II t . 



Fig. 89. 



si k\ ens i.' vil in use un the western 

 Railway <>k France, 1855. 



i di awing n. ih>- r. S. National Museum. | 



The types of Stevens rail adopted by the Royal Swedish Railway in 

 1854 and by the Western Hail way of Fiance in 1855 are shown in 

 Figs. 88 and 81), made from drawings in the collection. 



