Cc. G. R. COWDERY. 
that is, the joint. Of course a great deal could be said in regard 
to the weaknesses and merits of the different descriptions of tram- 
way rails, but that is somewhat outside the intention and scope 
of this paper, and could well form a separate subject. 
Let us look into the history of the defects of a tramway joint, 
which, like the poor, whether in Europe, England, America, 
or Australia, are always with us. In the first place, what is a 
good joint? the absence of motion to both rails and cars. Take 
an ordinary rail and fish-plate, and presuming that the greatest 
care has been taken to see that head web and flange, the length 
and type of fishplate, and the number and size of bolts to be 
made have been well designed, we find on the arrival of the ship- 
ment that notwithstanding the rolls have been made with the 
greatest nicety, that the rolling and punching is done with the 
greatest care, there is, to begin with, an absence of fit, for by 
using the point of a penknife we find many places between the 
rolled surfaces of rail and fish-plate where the parts are not in 
contact. The fault of this cannot be fairly charged either to the 
designer or maker, but is the result of expecting too much from 
the bolting of two rolled surfaces together to resist a strain. 
and stress that no other mechanical device would be expected 
to withstand. 
Therefore we have to start with an inherent weakness which 
every blow of a motor and car wheel only accentuates. It is 
therefore clear, that we must have far better fittings than are to 
be obtained at the best rolling mills in the ordinary commercial 
way, in order to produce the desired results. But this is not in 
itself sufficient, as endeavour will be made to show. 
Early in 1893 the author was greatly struck with a capable and 
thoughtful article by Mr. A. J. Moxham, which appeared in an 
American journal in November of the previous year, on “ Expan- 
sion of Continuous Rails.” This was not only interesting 48 
showing what had been done in America, but because our own 
experience almost entirely coincided with it. He says—“ If two 
rails be placed in perfect surface and alignment and closely butted 
