DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN RAIL AND TRACK. 



697 



an original stone block, rails, and joint fixtures, which wore laid on the 

 Camden and Amboy Railroad in L830 and taken out of the track when 

 the road was relaid with cross-ties a few years later.* 



As will be seen by reference to Fig. 40 1 the Camden and Amboy Kail- 

 road Company used the fish plate with screw-bolt and nut previous to 

 1837. Tins practice does not appear to have been pursued in Eu gland 

 until ten years later. It is stated that " the fish joint (with bolts 

 through the stem of the rail) was designed by W. Bridges Adams, 

 1847, and has been applied throughout the London and Northwestern 

 Kail way ."J 



Boiled fish-plates 18 inches in length came into general use about 

 1850-55. In 1858 those on the North Loudon Railway of England were 

 27 iuches long. Figs. 115, 11G, and 117 are from drawings of the rails 



Fig. 115. 



Single Splice Bar" for Rail, 

 Rolled by the Phoenix Ikon 

 Company, 1855. 



(From chart furnished by the PIhitmx 

 Iron Company 



Fig. 116. 

 Double Splice Bar fob Rail, 

 Rolled by the Phcenix Iron 

 Company, 1856. 



i rom chart furnished by the Phcenix 

 Iron Company. 



Fig. 117. 



Double Splice Bar for rail. 

 Rolled by the Phoenix Ikon 

 Company, 1857. 



(From chart furnished by the Phcpnix 

 Iron Company. ) 



and splice-bars manufactured by the Phoenix Iron Company, of Phce- 

 nixville, Pa., previous to 1857. The figures are made from a ehart§ 

 which the company had prepared in that year to show the many 

 shapes of iron they were prepared to roll. 



*On some roads the ends of the rails were simply spiked to the stone block or 

 wooden stringer, and no attempt was made to fasten the rails to each other. 



tFrom Stevenson's Engineering in Norlh America, 1837. 



t The Permanent Way of European Railways, Colburn & Holley, X. Y., 1858. 



$ This chart, the only one iu existence, was forwarded by the Phcenix Iron Com- 

 pany to Washington for inspection. For this courtesy the curator is indebted. 



