LIGHT RAILWAYS FOR NEW SOUTH WALES. 227 
found that where eight feet by nine inches by four and a half 
inch sleepers were placed two feet four inches centres apart, there 
was less difficulty in keeping a good top and line on the road, 
even where the traffic was three times heavier than on a similarly 
constructed road and like formation, but where the sleepers were 
two feet eight and a half inch centres. The question appeared 
to be one of low maintenance cost, rather than one of “‘safe limit” 
of rail span. Reducing the depth of ballast appeared to him one 
of the least objectionable methods of reducing the cost of a light 
line; it was an improvement to any line to be periodically lifted 
and repacked, as it improved the drainage and gave adhesiveness 
to the sleepers and ballast. The gradual ballasting of the line 
could therefore be carried out as the traffic and earnings increased, 
especially as the development of the country by the railway would 
probably make the ballast more easily procurable. A further 
considerable saving in first cost could also be effected by discon- . 
tinuing the practice of cutting the low rail on curves in order to 
bring the points opposite. Although theoretically correct, an 
adjustment of the sleepers at the points would meet all practical 
purposes, the rails being cut only at the tangents. This had been 
done to great advantage on the tramway curves, for the wear on 
the inside of the head of the high rail was so severe that in order 
to obtain the most economical results the rails had to be changed 
from side to side, which of course could not be done if the rails 
were cut. He was opposed to the reduction of the weight of the 
rail to less than sixty pounds to the lineal yard, and would not 
favour any reduction in the weight of the sleeper fastenings, as 
it was essential in order to reduce the cost of maintenance to 
avoid frequent re-spiking and consequent damage to the sleepers. 
He had found that where forty-two pound rails were in use on 
the tramways, even on lines where the traffic was comparatively 
light, the ordinary maintenance had been greatly reduced by the 
use of heavy sleeper fastenings. He considered that the greatest 
disadvantage to any railway were steep gradients over which no 
mechanical device could economically work. 
