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UNBALLASTED LINES OF RAILWAY IN N.S.W. 979 
(e) The earth ballast is filled in between the sleepers and 
between the rails, with a slope towards the side so as to throw off 
the rain-water which may fall on it. Care is taken that the 
earth ballast under the rail shall not reach up to the flange, so 
that water may run off freely. 
The author is of opinion that if the above points are carefully 
attended to the principle is one that may be safely adopted in the 
drier climate of the interior and on lines where the amount of 
traffic is small. In the coast districts, where the annual rainfall 
is nearly everywhere heavy, and on lines with considerable traftic 
ballast should be used. When traffic greatly increases on new 
lines it would be wise to strengthen them by ballasting, and the 
additional sleepers which have been placed in the road will be 
found to make the line easier to maintain, as they give better 
support to the rails and add weight to the permanent way, making 
it less liable to lateral shifting. 
It has been stated that unballasted lines are a makeshift, and 
that it is only a question of time when ballast must be laid down, 
. that in America where lines are made without ballast in the first 
instance, ballasting is undertaken at as early a date as possible 
afterwards. This is not strictly true—there are lines in America 
which may never be ballasted because they do not require it. 
Frequently, however, the ballasting is left out in the first instance 
because it is cheaper to do it after the line is finished and when 
it can be ran forward by the trains. The question as to whether 
ballast should be left out or not must be determined after con- 
sidering the climate, traffic, and cost of the material. There are 
some places where it would be folly to leave it out, and others 
where, in the author’s opinion, it would be useless extravagance 
to put it down. 
No. 2.—THE COMMERCIAL CONDITIONS GOVERNING 
RAILWAY EXTENSION IN AUSTRALIA. 
By C. O. Burcz, M. Inst. C.E. 
(Read Saturday, 8 January, 1898.) 
[ Abstract. | 
THis paper begins by pointing out the distinction between the 
conditions governing railway extension where, as in Europe and 
America, private enterprise prevails, and those involved by owner- 
ship of the railways by the whole people, as generally obtaining 
in Australia and other southern colonies. In the former case, 
the equilibrium between the receipts of any proposed railway, 
