CROSS TIES 



271 



of increased traffic and heavier rolling stock. Prices, as outlined above, 

 have also steadily risen. 



For a long time all standard gauge railroad ties were 8 ft. in length. 

 In recent years many railroads have increased this to 8| ft. and some 

 even to 9 ft. Formerly a thickness of 6 in. was prescribed for both sawed 

 or hewed ties, but now many of the railroads require a thickness of 6| to 

 7 in. Pole ties, that is, those faced, either by hewing or sawing on two 

 parallel sides, are now usually required to measure 7 to 8 in. on the 

 face. Squared ties, or those hewed or sawed on all four sides, are now 

 customarily 7 by 9 in. in cross-section, although some railroads still hold 

 to the dimensions of 6 by 8 in., which were commonly in use a few years 

 ago. 



The following tabular statement shows the size specifications adopted 

 by some of both the larger and smaller railway systems in the country, 

 for the period before the entry of this country in the war : 



RAILROAD TIE SPECIFICATIONS; COMPILED FROM SOME OF THE LEADING ROADS 



OF THE UNITED STATES 



1916 SPECIFICATIONS 



L = length in feet ; T = thickness in inches; F =face in inches. 



