THE CANADIAN JOURNAL. 



NEW SERIES. 



IS^o. XVIII.— NOVEMBEE, 1858. 



NEW COMPOUND RAIL. 



BY SANDFORD FLEMING, C. E. 



Mead before the Canadian Institute, February \Zth, 1858. 



The improvement on railway construction now referred to consists 

 in forming a continuous rail, of uniform strength throughout its length, 

 by means of two light bridge rails, placed the one over the other, and 

 breaking joint. The lower rail is inverted, and rests in grooves cut in 

 the ties or sleepers to receive it ; the upper rail is placed immediately 

 over the lower one and secured to it by means of clamps or bolts ; 

 wrought iron cores are inserted in the internal cavities at each of the 

 joints, for the double purpose of giving vertical strength and locking 

 the two halves so as to prevent any lateral motion. 



The necessity of improving the mode of constructing " The Perma- 

 nent Way " has doubtless forced itself upon the attention of those who 

 daily witness the care and labour bestowed on the rail track to main- 

 tain it in a serviceable state, and more especially of railway proprietors, 

 who too frequently learn at their annual meetings that the earnings of 

 the company are very largely absorbed in the account headed, " Track 

 Repairs " or " Maintenance of Way." 



The annual cost of keeping in efficient repair what is termed " The 

 Permanent Way" of railways is very great. It is found, when proper 

 allowances are made for the deterioration of the iron rails and destruc- 

 tion of the ties or sleepers, to amount to about half as much as all the 



VOL. III. FF 



