200 RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. 



a position so thoroughly appreciated by the public that any 

 check on their reasonable use or extension would be considered 

 as detrimental to the interests of the travelling community. 



As a rule, these tramways are laid down on streets or roads 

 previously constructed for the ordinary road traffic, where all the 

 preliminary work of earth filling, bridges, drainage, etc., has 

 already been accomplished, and there only remains the selection 

 and laying down of the rails or permanent way over which the 

 tram-cars will have to run. The description and weight of perma- 

 nent way to be adopted will depend largely upon the weight of 

 the cars to be used and the system of motive-power decided 

 upon for the haulage whether horses, steam, cable, or electricity. 



As the portion of the streets or public roads along which the 

 tramway has to be laid will, in all probability, have to be occu- 

 pied and traversed by all kinds of vehicles besides the tram-cars, 

 it is absolutely necessary that the permanent way for the tram- 

 way should be of such description as to require the least possible 

 amount of adjustment of fastenings or opening out of the road- 

 way for repairs. Where the entire width of the street, including 

 the space between the tram-rails, is paved with stone setts, the 

 opening out of even a short length for repairs is tedious and 

 costly, and causes considerable obstruction to the street traffic. 

 It is most important, therefore, that the rail and its fastenings 

 should not only be strong enough for its own tram service and 

 the carts and drays which will pass over and across the track 

 in all directions, but it must possess the minimum necessity for 

 disturbance. 



Figs. 275 to 279 are sketches of a few of the many types 

 which have been brought into use in various places. 



Where the public roads are wide, and a space can be set apart 

 at the side for the special use of the tramway, the arrangement 

 shown in Fig. 275 will be simple and efficient. It is very similar 

 to an ordinary railway permanent way with the ballast filled in 

 flush with the top of the rails. The rails are shown as flange 

 or flat-bottom rails, fished together at the joints, and properly 

 secured to transverse sleepers of wood, iron, or steel. The space 

 between and outside the rails is filled in with small-sized broken 

 stone ballast or good clean gravel, and forms an even surface, 

 over which animals or cattle may pass without risk of being 

 thrown down. 



Fig. 276 represents a system which was laid down extensively, 



