292 RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. 



temporary terminus of the line has been advanced further ahead, 

 the rails and sleepers can be lifted and used again elsewhere. 



Figs. 444 and 445 give sketch plan and section of a waggon 

 turn-table which has been largely adopted. The centre should 

 be securely fixed on a solid foundation of masonry, brickwork, 

 or concrete. The deep outer cast-iron ring is made in segments, 

 properly fitted and bolted together, and fastened down to the 

 foundation course. The stop-checks are cast on to this outer 

 ring. Two roads, at right angles to each other, are laid on the 

 turn-table, so that waggons to or from the goods-shed have only 

 to make one quarter turn of the table. The top is generally 

 covered with either chequered iron plates or timber to give good 

 foothold for the men and horses which have to pass over in 

 moving the waggons. If properly balanced, the table is easily 

 turned by men pushing at the opposite corners of the waggon, or 

 by a horse and tail-rope, or by hydraulic power through a 

 capstan. In many cases of bad or soft foundations these small 

 turn-tables are erected on a strong framework of creosoted 

 timber. 



Carriage turn-tables are now very rarely used. With the old 

 short four-wheeled carriages the moderate-size turn-table was 

 convenient for transferring an extra carriage to or from a spare 

 carriage-line alongside the making-up train at a platform, but 

 modern carriages are now so much longer, some of them twice 

 the length, or more, than formerly, that nothing less than an 

 engine turn-table would be large enough for them. Sometimes a 

 carriage traverser is used for this station work, but much more 

 frequently these long carriages are shunted on or off the making- 

 up train by simply running them in or out through the nearest 

 switches and cross-over road. 



Fig. 446 is a sketch of a carriage-traverser, of length to suit 

 an ordinary six-wheeled carriage. The length, however, may be 

 extended to take on a bogie carriage or any other long carriage. 

 The framing is made of wrought-iron or steel, well braced 

 together. The carrying wheels, W, W, run upon rails laid at 

 right angles to the running-line or siding, and the carriage is 

 moved on to or off the traverser by means of the hinged ramps 

 shown at R, R. A carriage, once on the traverser, may be moved 

 across one or several lines of running road, according to the 

 extent of traverser line laid down ; and this appliance is very 

 suitable for large terminal stations and carriage-repair shops. It 



