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similar Lengths of line laid on now oak ties, has decided in favor of a. 
mild Steel tie, 8 feet 6 inches long, 9.25 inches wide over the extreme 
edges at the bottom, 2.52 inches deep for the greater part of its length, 
but increased to 2.92 inches under the rail and 3.23 inches at about 4 
inches outside the rail, so as to give the inclination of 1 in 20 for the 
cant of the Hat -bo1 tomed rail, which rests directly on the tie. 
The following advantages are claimed for this tie (adopted from the 
St. Got t hard Railway) : 
(1) It is easily packed with any kind of ballast — sand, gravel, ashes, 
slag, stone, etc. 
(2) The triangular toe which forms the bottom edge of the sloping 
sides of the tie prevents damage to the edge during the beating up of 
the ballast, and by lowering the neutral axis of the section additional 
stillness is gained. 
(3) It gives a broad surface for the foot of the rail to rest upon. 
The weight of the tie is 104.7 pounds, saving 15 per cent, from the 
-weight of a tie of the same strength but uniform cross-section. 
The ties ordered in July, 1885, including a two years' guarantee, cost 
about 81.15 per tie, or " almost the same as. an oak tie." 
As to form, the closing of the end of the tie deserves special attention. 
It should have a sloping, closed end, which tends to drive the ballast 
in under the rail instead of out from underneath, as the early open- 
ended form did. 
WEIGHT. 
As stated before, the first iron sleepers were uot successful, on ac- 
count of their light weight and consequently reduced section. Those 
introduced in France and Germany iu 1864 were only 66 pounds. The 
fastenings had not hold enough and breaking was frequent where the 
rails rested on the ties; there was also danger connected with thein 
on account of unsteadiness and increased lateral movement. The re- 
sults were due to the following causes: 1, the holes of the fastening re- 
duced the cross-section ; 2, the punching of the holes made the metal 
around them more or less brittle ; 3, in time the foot of the rail and fast- 
ening would eat into the top of the tie; 4, with a rational beating up 
of the ballast the momentum of reaction of a ballast is a maximum at 
the cross-section, where the wheel load is applied; 5, the impulse of 
the moving load is transferred directly to the tie at these places. 
Increase of weight gives more stability to superstructure. Metal 
cross-ties weighing 100 pounds have proved quite satisfactory. Those 
of less weight, 77 to 88 pounds, proved too light. The State Railway 
of Wurtemberg uses ties of 128 pounds, but the majority of German and 
Dutch engineers consider 112 pounds fully sufficient to maintain a per- 
fectly steady and permanent road. 
