TRACKWORK 

 SPACES BETWEEN ENDS OF RAILS 



CURVED TRACK 



The difference in length between the inner and the outer 

 rail of a curve may be found by either of the following rules: 



Rule I. Multiply the degree of the curve by the length in 

 stations of 100 ft., and this product by l^V; the result will be the 

 difference in length between the inner and the outer rail, in inches, 



Rule II. Multiply the distance between the center lines of 

 the rails by the length of the curve, in feet, and divide the product 

 by the radius of the track curve; the quotient will be the required 

 difference in length, expressed in feet. 



For light curves laid to exact gauge, the first rule is the 

 simpler one. but for short curves where the gauge is widened, 

 the second rule should be used. 



Curving Rails. When laying track on curves, in order to 

 have a smooth line, the rails themselves must conform to the 

 curve of the center line. To accomplish this, the rails must 

 be curved. The curving should be done with a rail bender 

 or with a lever, preferably with the former. To guide those in 

 charge of this work, a table of middle and quarter ordinates 

 for a 30-ft. rail for all degrees of curve should be prepared. 

 The middle ordinates in the following table are calculated by 

 the formula c 2 



in which m is the middle ordinate; c, the length of chord, 

 assumed to be of the same length as the rail; and.R, the radius 

 of curve. This formula is not theoretically correct; yet the 

 error is so small that it may be ignored in practical work. 



